The Plaid Cymru Deputy Leader Jill Evans MEP will lead calls for a crackdown on the use of toxic chemicals in a keynote speech to a major London conference later today (Friday). The Welsh Euro-MP wants hazardous chemicals that are used in everyday products and cosmetics to be replaced with safer alternatives and is campaigning for this in the European Parliament. The conference is part of the WWF's Chemicals and Health Campaign which is being supported by the Women's Institute.

The campaign is calling for stricter controls on the use of hazardous man-made chemicals used in everyday products. Jill Evans volunteered to have her blood tested for chemicals in WWF's survey last year and will present her personal results at the conference.

Jill Evans MEP will tell delegates at the conference how shocked she was to discover that she had the highest number of toxins in her blood of those tested in Wales - a total of 33.

Speaking at the conference, Ms Evans will say:

"I was horrified to find that of all those tested in Wales, I had the highest number of different chemicals found in my blood. People today are walking around with many different hazardous man-made chemicals in their bodies, and we have absolutely no idea as to what the long-term health effects of these might be."

"I want to congratulate WWF on their work in highlighting the need for better regulation of chemicals, in particular their survey of chemical contamination in which I was pleased to participate as it has raised awareness of the widespread use of hazardous chemicals in everyday products, and how we are all contaminated by them."

The campaign also seeks to ensure that a new EU law, called REACH, will properly regulate chemicals and phase out the most hazardous.

Referring to the new EU legislation, Ms Evans will say:

"Although the eventual REACH proposal has already been significantly weaker than I and several environmental groups would have liked, it does represent an important step forward in the field of chemicals regulation. I want to congratulate the WWF on their work in highlighting the need for better regulation. We need to work together to ensure that adequate safeguards are passed by Parliament in its next session. The support of groups like the WWF and NFWI will be very valuable in achieving this objective."

Diwedd/Ends.