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Lorraine Beavers (Blackpool North and Fleetwood) (Lab):

Residents of Thornton-Cleveleys in my constituency are being warned not to eat food grown in their own gardens because a local site is being investigated after testing found high concentrations around it of a banned substance called perfluorooctanoic acid, which has proven to be carcinogenic, and there have been discharges into the protected River Wyre. This is affecting hundreds of residents in the area, and there are fears of contamination to water and locally grown food. What steps will the Minister take to address this problem under the current regulations to ensure that constituents like mine are protected?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. The Government are, of course, strongly committed to ensuring a high level of protection for human health and the environment. I am aware that the Environment Agency is investigating this matter, so I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss it in detail.

The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee general practitioners (GPs) is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. Additionally, GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on cancer, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.

NHS England funds delivery of GatewayC, the leading online early cancer diagnosis e-training resource for GPs and primary care staff. Where relevant, e-learning courses contain a risk factors section, and in the current update of the existing Lung Cancer course, GatewayC has added welding fumes to the risk factor card on 'chemicals and workplace risk'. From the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance, the increased risk is primarily for lung cancer, but there is also some evidence of an increased risk of kidney cancer. The upcoming Urological Cancers course doesn't directly refer to this but has a cover-all statement on workplace risk, stating: 'exposure to certain chemicals at work may increase the risk of bladder and kidney cancer'.

NHS England has also significantly expanded the Lung Cancer Screening Programme, formerly known as the Targeted Lung Health Check. The programme currently operates across more than a quarter of England, prioritising areas with the highest lung cancer mortality and levels of deprivation. Mobile scanning units in community settings, such as supermarket car parks, have helped to improve access and uptake. The programme is on track to offer screening nationally by 2029, with a target to invite at least 50% of the eligible population by March 2026.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not collect data on the numbers of people directly or indirectly exposed to welding fume.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for collection of data of workplace injury and illness. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) provides the national reporting framework for responsible persons (usually employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises) to report certain cases of injury, diseases and specified dangerous occurrences to the relevant Enforcing Authority (HSE or Local Authority). Regulation 9 of RIDDOR requires the responsible person to report a diagnosis of any cancer attributed to an occupational exposure to a known human carcinogen in their current job.

When reporting, the responsible person must provide details on the affected person's occupation or job title and a description of the work that led to the disease. This would capture whether the person is a welder and/or carries out welding as part of their job. There is also the option to report the specific type of cancer being diagnosed.

HSE also collects data on occupational cancers through the Health and Occupational Reporting (THOR) network. This includes:

• Lung cancer and mesothelioma data from chest physicians (THOR-SWORD) and
• Skin cancer data from dermatologists (THOR-EPIDERM)

Where available, occupational information such as job title may be recorded, potentially identifying welders.

However, welders may also be exposed to other carcinogens, such as asbestos, during their work so it is difficult to directly link a diagnosis of cancer specifically to exposure to welding fumes.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published guidance on Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) which specifies RPE types, filters and standards to be used at work, Respiratory protective equipment at work: A practical guide HSG53

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) require that businesses risk assess exposure to hazardous substances like welding fume and ensure that appropriate RPE is selected, where required.

Industry sectors and businesses may have different RPE requirements, depending on the type of welding and the work environment.

To assist them in their selection the COSHH Essentials Welding Sheet WL3 gives welders guidance on the appropriate types of mask and grade of filters, suitable for welding, Welding fume control (hse.gov.uk).

HSE conducts regular inspection campaigns targeting the industries where welding is prevalent. Part of the inspection is to check that welders have the appropriate RPE where required.

HSE works with industry stakeholders to promote the guidance and improve safety in welding.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not collect data on the numbers of people directly or indirectly exposed to welding fume.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not collect data on the numbers of people directly or indirectly exposed to welding fume.

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on cancer, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance. The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council.

The review will involve a comprehensive review of published literature on the risk contaminants pose to firefighters along with related decontamination protocols.

The health and safety of firefighters is of paramount importance.

Fire and Rescue Authorities are responsible for the health and safety of firefighters and they should be mindful of emerging research.

I have commissioned a literature review of published studies to understand their conclusions and determine next steps and I am engaging with the Department for Health and Social Care to explore these issues.

The Department does not hold data on the average level of TSNA carcinogens found in cigarettes, heated tobacco, e-cigarettes or snus.

EU Directive 2019/130 is the second phase of amendments to the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD) 2004/37/EC. While there is no legal obligation for the Government to apply the Directive, we will continue to have a system for setting workplace exposure limits in Great Britain (GB) to ensure worker protection and will consider, and apply as appropriate, relevant limits as part of this.

The Department and Public Health England (PHE) regularly engage with other Government departments. The devolved administrations are represented on the Department’s Expert Committees which are supported by PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. This includes the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment, the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee and the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England regularly engage with other government departments, including the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the devolved administrations, on the management of harmful chemicals. A cross governmental approach to the management of harmful chemicals, which includes chemicals identified as risk factors for cancer, is adopted to protect public health and the environment.

The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan commits to a new strategy to tackle chemicals of national concern. Following EU exit, the Government is developing an ambitious Chemicals Framework which will set out immediate priorities, alongside any actions needed to take to achieve safer and more environmentally sustainable management of chemicals for present and future generations. Defra hold the policy lead for chemicals. DHSC will continue to liaise with on the development of a Chemicals Framework to ensure the safe use and management of chemicals in the UK. Government aims to publish the Framework in 2021/22.

The Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) in Public Health England supports the Government’s policy on chemicals by providing advice on harmful effects. ‘The future of public health: the National Institute for Health Protection and other public health functions’ published on 15 September 2020 confirmed that the responsibilities of the National Institute for Health Protection will include the functions of the CRCE.

It is the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities, as employers, to ensure that health screening and blood tests, suitable for the risks faced, are available to their firefighters.
There have been no discussions between the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the inclusion of effluents and carcinogens in public health checks after large-scale fires.

All businesses must prevent, or if this is not reasonably practicable minimise, exposure of employees to carcinogens, including asbestos, in the workplace. Businesses must comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, both of which are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE also produces free guidance to assist businesses to comply with their legal duties: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/index.htm & http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/.

HSE also works in partnership with businesses and others to raise awareness of workplace ill health. For example, occupational lung disease, including that caused by exposure to carcinogens, is one of three health priorities that form HSE’s Health and Work strategy to prevent workplace ill health. This work includes the national campaign ‘Go Home Healthy’ to promote HSE’s commitment to tackling ill health.