HL Deb 28 July 1997 vol 582 cc7-8WA
Lord Dean of Beswick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What plans they have for the radon free measurement programme.

Baroness Hayman

We are concerned by the threat posed to health by high concentrations of radon gas in homes and we therefore propose to complete the two-year programme, initiated by the previous Government, the second phase of which began in February this year. From early autumn, invitations for a free radon measurement will be sent to the remaining homes in England—nearly 178,000—which have a greater than 5 per cent. chance of being above the recommended radon action level and which have not already received an invitation. These invitations will ensure that every household in the most radon-affected parts of the country will have been offered a free radon measurement.

When we have the data generated by this programme we will be able to consider, with local authorities, the best way to deal with this problem on a local basis.