§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that the use of urea formaldehyde foam for filling cavities in private and public buildings is discontinued until his review, relating to its use, is completed.
§ Mr. StanleyThe current medical advice, referred to in my answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. Davis) on 18 March—[Vol. 20, c.193]—would not warrant a ban under building regulations on the installation of urea formaldehyde foam in dwellings. It is, however, most important that both the insulation itself and the construction of the buildings in which it is being installed conform to the British standards 5617 and 5618, referred to in my further answer to the same hon. Member on 18 March. As I indicated in my answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Bidwell) on 29 March—[Vol. 21, c. 38]—both the relevant British standards and Building Regulations are under review. The only public buildings for which my right hon. Friend is directly responsible are those managed by the PSA, which only uses urea formaldehyde foam in strict accordance with British standards. Hospital and maintained educational buildings and their insulation are the concern of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Social Services and Education and Science.