§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been taken by his Department in the light of the recommendations of the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee in food 538W surveillance paper No. 12 that industry should find alternatives to cadmium and that efforts should be made to reduce pollution of the environment by cadmium.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe observations and recommendations of the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee in food surveillance paper No. 12 are welcomed. They are in line with the Government's policy to keep man's total intake of cadmium as low as practicable. As recommended by the committee, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has initiated a survey of the food contact uses, if any, of cadmium pigmented plastics.
My Department published comprehensive guidance in 1983 on the disposal of wastes containing cadmium (Waste Management paper No. 24) and continues to keep environmental exposure to cadmium under review.