Mr. Deakinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the membership and frequency of meeting, and what are the terms of reference, of the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe committee, which meets eight times a year, has the following current membership:
- Professor P. Turner (Chairman), Clinical Pharmacologist
- Professor F. Beck, Pathologist (Teratologist)
- Professor C. L. Berry, Clinical Pathologist (Teratologist)
- Professor B. E. Clayton, Chemical Pathologist
- Professor D. S. Davies, Clinical Pharmacologist
- Dr. G. E. Davies, Industrial Immumopathologist
- Dr. A. Ferguson, Histopathologist
- Professor W. P. T. James, Nutritionist
- Dr. F. J. C. Roe, Independent Consultant Toxicologist
- Dr. M. Sharratt, Industrial Toxicologist
- Dr. G. N. Volans, Director of Poisons Unit
- Mr. David Walker, Veterinary Histopathologist
- Professor O. Wrong, Consultant Physician
The committee's terms of reference are:
1. At the request of Government, to assess and advise on the toxic risk to man of substances which are:
- (a) used or proposed to be used as food additives, or used in such a way that they might contaminate food through their use or natural occurrence in agriculture, including horticulture and veterinary practice or in the distribution, storage, preparation, processing or packaging of food;
- (b) used or proposed to be used or manufactured or produced in industry, agriculture, food storage or any other workplace;
- (c) used or proposed to be used as household goods or toilet goods and preparations;
- (d) used or proposed to be used as drugs, when advice is requested by the Medicines Commission, Section 4 Committees or the Licensing Authority;
- (e) used or proposed to be used or disposed of in such a way as to result in pollution of the environment.
2. To advise on important general principles or new scientific discoveries in connection with toxic risks, to co-ordinate with other bodies concerned with the assessment of toxic risks and to present recommendations for toxicity testing.