§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from(a) the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association, (b) the Pure Water Association and (c) other bodies regarding the chlorination of drinking water. [132345]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 24 July 2000]: No representations have been received.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the study commissioned by his Department into the use of chlorine-treated drinking water, with particular reference to(a) its cost, (b) when the report is expected and (c) the reasons for his Department's decision to commission the study. [132330]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 24 July 2000]: The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment advised that:
We consider that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the presence of chlorination by-products in tap-water increases the risk of adverse reproductive outcomes. We recommend, however, that the claimed associations between patterns of drinking-water intake and the incidence of adverse reproductive outcomes be investigated further, since any causal association would be of significant public health concern.The statement was published in the 1999 Annual Report of the Committees on Toxicity, Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. Copies of the Annual Report are in the Library, and may be found on the internet at http://www.doh.gov.uk/coc.htm.
In view of the Committee's advice, funding Departments (which include the Department of Health and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions), commissioned the Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) at Imperial College to undertake a case-control epidemiological study to examine whether there are adverse reproductive outcomes associated with chlorination by-products in drinking-water. The study is part of core funding of SAHSU, and is not costed separately. The first part of the study, which is investigating the hypothesis of an association between chlorination byproducts and stillbirths, low birth weight, birth weight distribution and sex ratio, is expected to report in the autumn of 2000. A proposed second phase will investigate the hypothesis of an association with certain congenital anomalies (cleft lip/palate, and major defects of the heart and of the abdominal wall), and is expected to take about 16 months to complete.
632WIn addition, the Department of Health has commissioned the Medical Research Council Institute of Environment and Health to examine the techniques of systematic review and meta-analysis in environmental epidemiology and toxicology. The project, which costs £85,260, and which is expected to report by the end of 2002, will include consideration of epidemiological studies on chlorinated drinking-water and reproductive outcomes as one example of a body of research to which such techniques may be applied.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to water companies regarding the chlorination of drinking water. [132347]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 24 July 2000]: Chemical disinfection of drinking-water is an important part of the treatment of water to protect human health. There are, however, concerns that traces of the chemical by-products of disinfection processes may be harmful. Standing expert advisory committees, whose members are appointed by the Chief Medical Officer, have advised the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on the evidence linking the consumption of chlorinated tap-water with cancers and with adverse reproductive outcomes. The Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment concluded that:
Overall, the further epidemiological studies fail to provide persuasive evidence of a consistent relationship between chlorinated drinking-water and cancer. It remains possible that there may be an association between chlorinated drinking water and cancer which is obscured by problems such as the difficulty of obtaining an adequate estimate of exposure to chlorination by-products, misclassification of source of drinking water (including the use of bottled water), failure to take adequate account of confounding factors (such as smoking status), and errors arising from non-participation of subjects.We therefore consider that efforts to minimise exposure to chlorination by-products remain appropriate, providing that they do not compromise the efficiency of disinfection of drinking-water.The statement was published in March 2000 in the 1998 Annual Report of the Committees on Toxicity, Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment concluded that:
We consider that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the presence of chlorination by-products in tap-water increases the risk of adverse reproductive outcomes. We recommend, however, that the claimed associations between patterns of drinking-water intake and the incidence of adverse reproductive outcomes be investigated further, since any causal association would be of significant public health concern. We therefore consider that efforts to minimise exposure to chlorination by-products by individuals and water authorities remain appropriate, providing that they do not compromise the efficiency of disinfection of drinking water.The statement was published in March 2000 in the 1999 Annual Report of the Committees on Toxicity, Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. Copies of the Annual reports have been placed in the Library, and may be found on the internet at http://www.doh.gov.uk/coc.htm
The advice was passed on to water and sewerage companies, and water companies, in England and Wales, by DWI in Information Letter 12/99 on 633W 14 July 1999. The letter included additional advice from DWI to the companies. The letter may be found on the internet at http://www.dwi.detr.gov.uk/regs/infolett/1999/ infol299.htm
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in other Governments regarding the chlorination of drinking water. [132346]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 24 July 2000]: There have been no recent discussions. However, officials keep in touch with scientific and regulatory developments in this area, through published literature, contact with scientists working in this field, involvement in preparation of World Health Organisation guidelines and evaluations, and through colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.