§ Mr. Stevensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what comparative evidence he has that the lead level in children declines in direct proportion to the use of non-lead petrol.
§ Sir George YoungThere is no direct comparative evidence on this point; but after reviewing the available evidence relating to lead in petrol, the DHSS working party on lead in the environment chaired by Professor Lawther recommended that
emissions of lead to the air from traffic and other sources should be progressively reduced, subject to an appraisal of any other possible effects on health of altering the constituents of petrol.The working party's report was published by HMSO as "Lead and Health" in March and a copy is in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Stevensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study his Department has made of the evidence of Professor Needleman, "New England Journal of Medicine", volume 300, page 689: 1979, that there is a direct association between the amount of lead in children's teeth and their mental performance.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department established an expert working party on lead tinder the chairmanship of Professor P. J. Lawther to review the overall effects on health of environmental lead. Its report "Lead and Health" was published in March and a copy is in the Library of the House.
In reaching its conclusions, the working party examined the Needleman study in detail along with other studies of lead in teeth and in blood in relation to the mental performance of children. (See paras. 152–159 of the report.)