§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has had any discussions for all district health authorities concerning the conversion of their vehicles to the use of lead-free petrol; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieDepartmental officials have had preliminary discussions with appropriate staff in the National Health Service.
Lead-free petrol offers benefits in terms of running costs, better health and a cleaner environment. We will shortly be inviting health authorities to follow the example already set by Mersey regional health authority and introduce a programme for progressively switching over to running on lead-free petrol. Steps are being taken to secure favourable terms for conversion and purchase from major manufacturers and distributors and we shall be issuing an information pack to all authorities early in the new year.