Mike Hancock News
MP backs father in bid to spread word on dangers of Carbon Monoxide, an invisible but deadly killer of 500 people in the last 13 years
Portsmouth South MP, Mike Hancock is demanding that the Government takes more action on preventing deaths from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. This deadly but invisible killer has caused at least 500 deaths in the past 13 years and over 3,000 incidents of non-fatal poisoning. Now, the MP wants the Government to introduce a levy to fund education and awareness of Carbon Monoxide poisoning and that the National Emergency Gas Service carries equipment to test for CO.
This move by the MP comes as Paul Overton whose daughter, Katie was killed by Carbon Monoxide poisoning when the family were living in Portsmouth launches a nationwide schools poster competition on the dangers of CO poisoning at a Portsmouth school. This is happening at the school Katie attended – Craneswater Junior in Southsea on Monday 17th November at 2.15pm. The school has a memorial garden to Katie.
The competition is run by the charity CO-Gas and asks students to design an informative and eye-catching poster warning of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning and fumes and how to avoid them. It is open to pupils in the final year of Primary School (ages 10-11) and in the first year of Sixth Form (ages 16-17).
Mike is also backing the campaign by writing to primary schools in Portsmouth asking them to take part in the poster competition and also for them to highlight the dangers of CO poisoning to their pupils. He is also demanding in letters to the Secretary of State for Education, Ed Balls and Secretary of State for Business, Lord Mandelson that the Government to do more to educate schoolchildren and the public about the dangers that CO poses. Just 2% Carbon Monoxide in the air will kill someone within 2 minutes. Low level exposure of CO over a long period can cause brain and nerve damage. CO is a toxic gas which can be emitted from any faulty heating or cooking appliance, petrol generator, or vehicle engine. Mike Hancock said: “I applaud the courage of Mr Overton in campaigning on and highlighting this issue. These are preventable deaths and it is particularly important to get the message over to children. CO-Gas Safety’s poster competition can do that in a fun and engaging way. Hopefully pupils will then take that message home and ask the parents to ensure that their own homes are checked. They will also know of the potential problem when they have their own house or flat.”
“I am also demanding that the Government takes greater action to stop these deaths. It is shameful that 40 people a year are dying unnecessarily. A levy on the industry to promote awareness and education could significantly cut these deaths.”
There are a number of steps that CO-Gas Safety outline that people can take to help prevent deaths from CO poisoning. Boilers and heaters should be regularly checked and serviced at least once a year. People should consider fitting a Carbon Monoxide alarm which only costs around £20. If people, particularly everyone in a household are suffering from symptoms associated with the CO poisoning including drowsiness, headaches and nausea they should go to their GP. However people should be aware that the symptoms can be mistaken for ’flu or other illnesses and fresh air quickly reduces CO in a living person.
Information on being aware of Carbon Monoxide poisoning is at www.becarbonmonoxideaware.com. It is run by The Carbon Monoxide Consumer Awareness Alliance (COCAA), and it is a group made up of organisations that all have an interest in ensuring the public is aware of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning and how to keep themselves safe from this poisonous gas.
Letters to Government ministers:
Rt Hon Lord Mandelson
Secretary of State
Department for Business, Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform
1 Victoria Street
LONDON SW1H 0ET
OUR REF: MA/CO
14 November 2008
Dear Secretary of State
I am writing to you about the issue of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. This is an issue that I take a particular interest in as unfortunately a young girl in my constituency, Katie Overton died of CO poisoning in 2003. Since then her father, Mr Paul Overton has done a great deal of work very courageously with the charity CO-Gas Safety etc., highlighting the dangers that CO potentially poses.
I am writing to you as the Secretary of State responsible for Business and Regulation as it seems that there is a great deal more that could be done on raising awareness of the dangers that CO poses. As you may be aware CO Gas Safety have found that during the past 13 years over 500 people have died from CO poisoning and a further 3,000 have suffered from CO poisoning. This equates to over 40 deaths and over 200 further cases of poisoning a year. If anything this is likely to be an under-estimate of the number of deaths.
As you may also be aware and as I understand it that the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) made a number of recommendations on CO Safety in 2000 which have not been implemented. In particular they said that there should be a levy on the industry to fund awareness of the dangers associated with CO. The gas and fuel industry is a wealth industry that makes millions of pounds in profit, even a very small levy would generate a great deal of money for education and awareness of CO poisoning. I welcome the money that the Government has spent educating the public about fires – but as well Fire Kills, CO Kills and while many millions of pounds are spent on publicity about Fires, virtually nothing is spent on CO awareness. Fire unfortunately kills around 300 people which is obviously to be regretted but CO kills 40 people a year and much more should be spent if the danger from CO was given equal weight as to that from fires. As it is most of the work is done by charities and volunteers such as CO-Gas Safety which only has a yearly budget of around £34,000.
The HSC also recommended that the National Gas Emergency Service should routinely carry and have equipment to test for CO but I gather that they don’t. CO-Gas Safety describe this as rather like going to deal with radioactivity without having a Geiger counter.
I hope therefore that your department will address these issues and look to finally implementing the recommendations of the HSC so that we can reduce the unnecessary and preventable deaths from CO poisoning.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Best wishes
Yours sincerely
MIKE HANCOCK CBE MP
The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Secretary of State for Education and Sills
Department for Education and Skills
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
LONDON SW1P 3BT
OUR REF: MA/CO
14 November 2008
Dear Secretary of State
I am writing to you about the issue of Carbon Monoxide poisoning and educating school children about it. This is an issue that I take a particular interest in as unfortunately a young girl in my constituency, Katie Overton died of CO poisoning in 2003. Since then her father, Mr Paul Overton has done a great deal of work with the charity CO-Gas Safety etc., very courageously on highlighting the dangers that CO potentially poses. Indeed he will back in Portsmouth next week to launch the CO-Gas Safety Schools Poster Competition for 2009 at the school Katie attended. I understand that you will be at the reception for the winners of their 2008 poster competition and attended the 2008 competition launch at the House of Lords earlier this year. I would therefore like to thank you for your support of raising awareness of the dangers that CO poses.
However I am writing to you because I think that much more could be done by your department to raise awareness and ensure that schoolchildren are educated and informed about the dangers that CO poses. As I am sure that you are aware CO Safety estimate that over 500 people have died from CO poisoning in the last 13 years – about 40 a year. If anything this is likely to be quite a considerable under-estimate as there is no routine testing of people who die in unusual circumstances for CO poisoning and it has symptoms that can easily be confused for other illnesses and diseases. The average number of people who die in fires is around 300 a year but compared to education and publicity about the dangers of fires which runs into millions of pounds, that on Carbon Monoxide poisoning is minuscule and cannot even have an eighth of the money spent on it that education about fires does and which its dangers would merit. Indeed most of the initiatives to highlight the dangers are coming from organisations such as CO Safety which operates I understand on a budget of only around £34,000 a year. I hope that you will look into how your Department can increase the amount of money spent on education about the potential dangers from CO poisoning and work with other departments on raising awareness. I look forward to receiving your reply on this and hearing how you will improve education on the dangers of CO.
Yours sincerely
MIKE HANCOCK CBE MP
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