Cryptosporidium (Hansard, 15 January 1990)

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken about the recommendations of Sir John Badenoch's committee as to the result of interim conclusions; and what response he has had from water undertakers, local authorities and health authorities in relation to cryptosporidium.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
To discharge the remit of the group of experts on cryptosporidium in water supplies to make an interim report by the end of July 1989, Sir John Badenoch wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 25 July setting out the group's preliminary conclusions on measures to safeguard water supplies and on public health aspects of infection with cryptosporidium. The letter, a copy of which was placed in the Library, made it clear that further substantive reports containing conclusions and recommendations on the control of cryptosporidium would be prepared in due course by the group.
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My Department sent Sir John's letter to water undertakers in August 1989 and endorsed the main recommendations. Copies of the letter were also sent by the Department of Health to the chief environmental health officers of local authorities and to the district general managers of health authorities and to other interests.
A co-operative research programme has now been put in hand involving Government Departments. water undertakers, the Water Research Centre and the Foundation of Water Research to take forward the expert group's research recommendations.

§ Sir Trevor Skeet
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect chlorination has on cryptosporidium; and what steps are being taken to protect public health from cryptosporidial infections in domestic water supplies.

§ Mr. Trippier
Cryptosporidium is unaffected by chlorine in the concentrations that can be used to treat drinking water. Sir John Badenoch. chairman of the group of experts on cryptosporidium in water supplies, wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 25 July 1989 setting out the group's preliminary conclusions on measures to safeguard water supplies and on the public health aspects of infection with cryptosporidium. The letter, a copy of which was placed in the Library, made it clear that further substantive reports containing conclusions and recommendations on the control of cryptosporidium would be prepared in due course by the group.
My Department sent Sir John's letter to water undertakers in August 1989 and endorsed the main recommendations. Copies of the letter were also sent by the Department of Health to the chief environmental health officers of local authorities and to the district general managers of health authorities and to other interests.
A co-operative research programme has now been put in hand involving Government Departments, water undertakers, the Water Research Centre and the Foundation of Water Research to take forward the expert group's research recommendations.