§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Executive has been notified of research studies which suggest a link between cancer and chrysoidine; and, particularly bearing in mind the thousands of anglers and angling suppliers who regularly use this chrysoidine dye, whether the Health and Safety Executive will make available appropriate warnings about the use of chrysoidine by anglers.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI am advised that the Health and Safety Executive's employment medical advisory service is aware of several cases of bladder cancer in anglers, but this has not been related to the total number of anglers and had not been part of a full epidemiological study with a control population. Cause and effect cannot be presumed at this stage. The evidence linking chrysoidine with cancer in mice was produce by a study carried out in Poland in 1954–56, but HSE is not aware of any recent study of the possible carcinogenicity of chrysoidine, either in animals or in humans. The EMAS is currently appraising the available evidence relating to the health effects of chrysoidine in an occupational context and will be reviewing the matter once the appraisal is completed.