To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to introduce standardised absorbency regulations for tampons.

This Department and the Department of Trade and Industry have asked the industry to show the grades of absorbency of tampons clearly on the packets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is aware of any research which has been conducted to ascertain whether tampon usage may be linked to the incidence of cervical cancer.

We are not aware of evidence of a causal link between sanitary protection products and cervical cancer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will conduct research into the health effects of tampon usage including toxic shock syndrome, vaginal ulcerations and the possibility of tampon fibres becoming attached to vaginal membranes.

There are no present plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has conducted any research into links between tampon absorbency and the incidence of toxic shock syndrome.

No, but there has been such research in the United States.