HC Deb 03 May 1991 vol 190 cc371-2W
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment is still investigating the possible causes of leukaemia and lymphatic cancer among under nine year olds living near nuclear establishments;

(2) whether the findings of Dr. Gardner at Sellafield are part of the brief of COMARE.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Yes.

Preliminary advice on Professor Gardner's findings from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment was published in the Official Report on 2 April 1990 at columns 430–34. In formulating further advice to Government, the Committee will take the results of Professor Gardner's study into consideration, along with the results of other studies, either completed, under way or planned.

COMARE's work programme as at January 1990 was set out in the reply that my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 10 January 1990 at columns 662–63. COMARE is currently engaged in a review of the possible health effects of radioactive discharges from the Sellafield installation in the light of new data which has emerged since the committee reported on the position in west Cumbria in 1986.

COMARE is expected to have completed this review by the middle of next year. Other major areas in COMARE's current and future work programme include the following:

  1. i. the incidence of childhood cancer in the vicinity of Scottish nuclear sites, other than Dounreay;
  2. ii. consideration of the results of the case-control study of childhood cancer in the vicinity of Aldermaston and Burghfield, results expected in early 1992;
  3. iii. consideration of the results of other studies recommended in previous advice to Government;
  4. iv. consideration of the results of a major study of the geographical distribution of childhood cancer on a nationwide basis, results expected 1992;
  5. v. participation in a review of the evidence relating to the incidence of childhood cancer around nuclear installations, once the results of the geographical studies—see iv above—are available.