§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what advice he has received concerning the 135W effect of lead in the blood on (a) hormones which maintain pregnancy and (b) enzyme function in pregnancy ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what advice he has given to pregnant women concerning exposure to lead ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what facilities are available on the National Health Service for women to be tested for blood lead level before or during pregnancy ; if a safe method exists for reducing he blood lead levels of pregnant women ; and if he will make a statement ;
(4) if he will list the results of all studies which have investigated the relation between stillbirths and neonatal deaths and placental lead levels ; and if he will make a statement ;
(5) if he will list the results of all research studies known to him which have investigated the correlation between lead levels in children and (a) mental retardaation and (b) hyperactivity ; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his estimate of the number of children who suffer encephalopathy each year as a result of lead poisoning ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what conclusions he has drawn for the United Kingdom from the report to Congress by the Comptroller General of the United States on preventing mental retardation, in particular, on preventing damage from lead pollution ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what research is being undertaken on the levels of lead in children's teeth ; if he is satisfied that the levels recorded indicate that no serious harm is accruing to children from excess lead in the environment ; and if he will make a statement ;
(4) what information is available to him on the percentage absorption of air-borne lead through the lungs in, respectively, adults and children ; and if he will make a statement ;
(5) at what blood lead level enzyme inhibition has been recorded in children ; if this level exceeds levels commonly recorded among children in high traffic areas ; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Moyle:I would refer my hon. Friends to my reply of 29th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) about the formation of a working party under Professor P. J. Lawther to advise on the overall effect on health of environmental lead from all sources.—[Vol. 959, c. 272–4]. My right hon. Friends and I take very seriously the suggestions made as a result of recent specific research studies that risks may arise to physical and mental health, especially that of pregnant women and children, at lower levels of accumulation of lead in the body than those which have hitherto been regarded as acceptable. These suggestions, however, have by no means been unreservedly accepted in scientific circles; and in some cases the researchers themselves have heavily qualified their findings. Nor is there general agreement among scientists about the validity of techniques for measuring body lead—for example, e.g. by blood tests or by analysis of body tissue such as teeth; about the respective importance of food, water and air as sources of lead; or about the varying degrees by which lead from these sources is absorbed in and retained by the body.
It is my hope, and that of my right hon. Friends, that, by comprehensively assessing the results of all relevant research studies, the working party will provide us with firm advice on which any necessary measures can be based. We look forward to receiving the report of the working party from Professor Lawther; in the meantime I think it would be unprofitable to comment on the validity of any particular research study.
I would stress that it has been for many years the policy of the Departments concerned to take steps to reduce the levels of lead in the environment, especially with regard to individuals and groups who may be exposed to a significant hazard from lead. In the National Health Service there are specially designated laboratories for testing the blood lead levels of such people in order to assist doctors to decide on any treatment which may be required.