Eurosceptics fail to silence London's church organs

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 28th Mar 2006

Blackheath village and church in south-east London

All is 'Bright and Beautiful' for London's church organs with the news that they can continue to bellow out hymns for evermore.

London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has welcomed a categorical assurance from the European Commission that new EU laws designed to curb the use of lead will not affect church organs.

Eurosceptic media claimed organ manufacturers feared that the Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive (ROHS), which bans lead in many electrical components, would also mean the banning of lead in organ pipes.

But Margot Wallström, Vice President of the European Commission, has told MEPs that churches in the UK have nothing to fear. Speaking in the European Parliament last week she said:

"You can fill all your churches with as many leaded pipes as you want. The Commission will not interfere with that. You can rest absolutely assured that the directive does not cover church organ pipes."

In a cry of frustration against media scare stories the Commissioner urged MEPs to "just make sure that now and then the poor people in the UK hear the truth, as they rarely receive correct information."

Sarah Ludford said:

"Once again measures intended to protect human health and safeguard the environment have been subject to twisting and distortion."

"The eurosceptics should pipe down and stop bellowing such ill-informed nonsense."

Notes

• To read Margot Wallström's speech in full please go to http://www.europarl.eu.int/sce/data/cre/doc/S0001808.doc