§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to update the research on(a)angiosarcoma, (b) lymphohematopoietic cancers and (c)cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators. [142632]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Department has no plans to carry out further research on angiosarcoma. The independent expert advisory Committee of Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and Environment that any potential risk of cancer from residency near to municipal solid waste incinerators was exceedingly low and probably not measurable by the most modern epidemiological methods. Therefore, no further research is planned on cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators.
The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) recommended in its third report an investigation of the geographical distribution of childhood cancer and leukaemia in Great Britain and how the pattern of cases around nuclear installations compares with the national pattern. This study is nearing completion and the Department has asked COMARE to advise on which, if any, nuclear installations in Great Britain have incidences of childhood cancer and leukaemia in their vicinity which are statistically outside the distribution seen nationally. COMARE hopes to report on this aspect of the study to the Department early next year. When complete, the database will also allow investigation of other environmental factors and their potential relevance to the temporal and spatial distribution of childhood cancer.