§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research has been commissioned into the incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by long-term exposure to poorly-ventilated domestic gas appliances; [65329]
(2) what assessment he has made of the level of awareness among general practitioners of the incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly-ventilated domestic gas appliances and the medical symptoms of long-term exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide. [65330]
§ Ms Jowell[holding answer 21 January 1999]: Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning causes 50 accidental deaths and nearly 200 serious injuries in the United Kingdom each year and is still a significant public health issue. First, we welcome the Department of Trade and Industry's recent campaign "Carbon Monoxide Can Kill—Keep Your Family Safe". This campaign will help to raise the awareness of the dangers of CO to those made at risk.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has regularly reminded all doctors over the last two years, through his update, of the importance of identifying cases of CO poisoning. To reinforce the message even further and more widely the CMO and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) published a letter "Carbon Monoxide: The Forgotten Killer" in September last year, which provided the most up-to-date information about CO to community nurses, midwives, health visitors, general practitioners and other health professionals. In particular, health professionals were reminded about the similarity of the symptoms of long-term exposure to lower levels of CO to food poisoning and influenza.
This Department, in association with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, is currently funding a £1 million joint research programme about the effects of exposure to air pollutants and damp in the home. Three of these research projects specifically address CO exposure.
A major three-year Department of Health/Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions £3 million research programme, which focused mainly on outdoor pollutants, is coming to an end shortly and decisions will be taken shortly on future research funding. One priority area will be CO poisoning in the home.