Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase testing for lead poisoning in (a) adults and (b) children.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) made a recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning in 2018. The UK NSC has not been asked to review screening adults for exposure to toxic metals. Further details on the UK NSC’s review are available at the following link:

https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/lead-poisoning/

We are aware that a proposal has been submitted to the UK NSC via its open call, to review the decision made in 2018 for screening children for lead poisoning, in light of new evidence. The UK NSC is currently considering all open call proposals. More information about the UK NSC’s open call is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-annual-call-submitting-a-screening-proposal/uk-nsc-annual-call-how-to-submit-a-proposal