§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to encourage manufacturers to phase out the practice of bleaching wound dressings and incontinence products.
§ Mr. FreemanNone, because the evidence of the recently published report "Dioxins in the Environment" is that residue levels of dioxins arising from bleaching of such products are at the limits of detection and pose no risk to patients. However, until alternatives to bleaching can be found, bleaching is necessary to make natural cotton absorbent. I welcome industry efforts to find an acceptable alternative which will satisfy performance requirements.