§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he can yet give a firm date for the publication by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys of the statistical study of cancer incidence and mortality in the vicinity of nuclear installations in England and Wales.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that I cannot yet be absolutely definite, but now expect it to be around mid-March. However, in view of the widespread interest that has been expressed in the context of the forthcoming debate on Sizewell, I am taking exceptional steps to make available a limited number of photocopies of the first rough proof from the printers. I hope to place 20 copies in the Library later today, as soon as the copying has been completed.
I must stress that this proof has only just been received by OPCS. It is subject to printers' errors and a final further cross-check by the authors between the derived tables in the text and the free-standing computer tables at the back of the report.
I remind my hon. Friend that, as I said in answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 16 February, the purpose of the investigation was to assemble 722W and publish data as a basis for identifying any prima facie excesses of cancer which might merit further investigation; the study does not itself test causal connections.
The study was carried out on an independent basis by five scientists, using data available to OPCS. It was supported by the Medical Research Council and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund cancer epidemiology and clinical trials unit. The authors are Mrs. Paula Cook-Mozaffari, Mr. T. Vincent, Mr. D. Forman, Mr. F. Ashwood, and Dr. M. Alderson.
Interpretation of the figures and decisions on any further work will have to be considered when the full report is published, and in the light of advice from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment.