§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance his Department gives to local authority environmental health officers about dealing with householders whose homes have high levels of radon. [117155]
§ Mr. MeacherMy Department is in regular contact with local authority environmental health officers (EHOs) in the areas most affected by radon. We advise that they should encourage householders with high levels of radon in their homes to carry out remedial measures to reduce the concentration of radon to which those householders are exposed.
In order to assist the EHOs and the householders, maps have been produced showing the areas most affected by radon. Three guidance booklets have been produced:
- A Householder's Guide
- A Guide to Reducing Levels in Your Home
- A Guide for Homebuyers and Sellers.
These are provided free of charge for householders, and stocks are provided to local authorities for them to distribute. This guidance is supported by two telephone hotlines: one to the National Radiological Protection Board, who give advice on radon measurements and on the health effects of radon; and one to the Building Research Establishment, who give advice on radon remedial measures. These hotlines are provided for the benefit of EHOs as well as householders.
For over a year, my Department has been working in partnership with three local authorities that have been piloting a new approach to encourage householders to carry out remedial action. A Good Practice Guide is in preparation, and proposals on how we shall work with other local authorities in a similar way in the future are being developed. I hope to make an announcement on these shortly.