Written question asked by Martyn Jones (Labour) on Thursday, 18 October 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 October 2007. It was answered by Anne McGuire (Labour) on Wednesday, 24 October 2007 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Industrial Health and Safety: Formaldehyde

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Disease Reduction Programme has concluded its benchmarking exercise; what steps the HSE plans to take on workplace exposure limits for formaldehyde; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The Health and Safety Executive's benchmarking exercise was presented in June 2007 to representatives of employers, trades unions, pressure groups and the scientific community at a workshop chaired by a highly respected independent academic.There are no immediate plans to amend the current workplace exposure limits for formaldehyde. If, however, formaldehyde is included in the third European Commission Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values Directive, the Health and Safety Executive would be obliged to take account of that limit when setting a domestic limit in the UK.

Secondary information