§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have received recently any information about nitrate concentrations in water supplies and their health effects.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Government's medical advisers have recently reviewed the available evidence on possible health risks from nitrates in water supplies and have prepared a statement of their conclusions and advice. They conclude that a cancer risk has not been substantiated and confirm existing advice about acceptable concentrations of nitrates in drinking water. The results of a thorough investigation into nitrate trends in surface and ground waters and the consequence for water supplies have just been published in the fourth biennial report of the Standing Technical Advisory Committee on Water Quality. Copies of the medical statement and of the published report have been placed in the Library.