§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what action is being taken by her Department to compensate the workers at Dagenham for damage to their health from the inhalation of dioxins from recycled ash; [20762]
(2) what assessment her Department has made of the effect of inhaling the level of dioxins found in fly ash at Edmonton. [20759]
§ Mr. MeacherTwo independent health risk assessments have so far been carried out, one for the Environment Agency, and the other by consultants for the London borough of Barking and Dagenham. Neither found the ash pile to pose a serious health risk. I understand that no medical evidence has been presented to support allegations of damage to health. Therefore the question of compensation does not arise.
The Department of Health has advised that no health impacts would be expected as a result of non-occupational exposure to the Edmonton ash at Dagenham. This advice takes into account the highest levels of dioxins measured in the ash pile.