HL Deb 19 April 1994 vol 554 c7WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the cases of the 200 sheep farmers who are being tested by the Institute of Occupational Medicine at Birmingham University on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive will be compared with matched controls.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Employment (Lord Henley)

Yes. Subjects and controls will be individually matched in terms of age, sex, socioeconomic level and geographical area.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are satisfied that the current research being conducted by the Institute of Occupational Health at the University of Birmingham on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive into the neuropsychological and neurological effects of occupational exposure to organophosphate pesticides in sheep farmers is based on good science.

Lord Henley

Yes. The methodology for the project was agreed with a panel of Health and Safety Executive assessors, including a clinician and experts in biological monitoring, epidemiology, study design and neurobeha-vioural testing.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the questionnaires given to sheep farmers in the course of research being conducted by the Institute of Occupational Health at Birmingham University are based upon parameters recognised by the medical and scientific community.

Lord Henley

All the questionnaires are derived from published reports and existing questionnaires which are based upon criteria recognised by the medical and scientific community.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the methods used for testing sheep farmers for neurological damage without the presence of a qualified neurologist in the course of research being conducted by the Institute of Occupational Health at Birmingham University on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive will produce scientific results.

Lord Henley

Yes. The objective of this part of the study is to detect gross clinical signs of chronic neurological damage. The clinical examinations will follow a standardised format and can be performed by any competent clinical physician.