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Pathology Services

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on (a) the role of pathology services in the National Health Service and (b) what steps he has taken to increase recruitment and retention of staff in the pathology service. [132403]

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Mr. Denham: Pathology services are an integral part of effective National Health Service diagnosis, treatment, patient care and screening programmes, they play an important role in protecting the public health in the new NHS.

The Department is currently developing a specific strategy for improving recruitment and retention; liaising closely with employers, the Royal College of Pathologists, professional bodies and trade unions to raise the profile of the work of pathology staff. In addition, the National Advisory Group for Scientists and Technicians has been charged to develop plans to improve workforce planning, education, training and career development.

Drinking Water (Chlorination)

Mr. Baker: To 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. Baker: To 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.

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In 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. Baker: To 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

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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/ info1299.htm

Mr. Baker: To 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.

Mobile Phones

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the NRPB report and (b) the Stewart report on mobile phones. [132435]

Yvette Cooper: The most recent document concerning mobile phone base stations published by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) is "Exposure to Radio Waves Near Mobile Phone Base Stations" (NRPB-R321 published June 2000). A summary is available at www.nrpb.org.uk. The contents of this report have been noted and copies have been placed in the Library.

The Stewart report published on 11 May made wide-ranging recommendations. We issued our initial response on the same day. The Department is keeping an overview of action taken by the appropriate Government Departments to respond to the report's recommendations. Progress is as follows:

Advice has already been issued to local education authorities and schools about base stations in an around school premises and the use of mobile phones by children.

Research recommendations are being taken forward by the Department of Health in conjunction with the Department for Trade and Industry, the research councils and industry. An announcement is planned for September.

The Department of Trade and Industry is also developing arrangements for information about mobile phones exposures to be made available and on measurement and auditing of base stations, for which schools are seen as the priority.

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions will shortly be consulting on the principle and precise scope of possible changes to the planning process for mobile phone base stations.

The Department of Health will issue a leaflet later this year to be distributed widely and, specifically, to be available where mobile phones are sold.

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