§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider that the employment in the outpatients department of the Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) of a clinical consultant who is also employed by the agrochemical company Syngenta (formerly Zeneca) might lead to a potential conflict of interest in view of the role of the MTU in the collection of data relating to pesticide poisoning incidents. [HL66]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:The Medical Toxicology Unit, as part of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, requires all consultant staff to adhere to the trust's policies on disclosure of interest and additional earnings. As a general rule this requires staff to register any other paid employment. It is the trust's view that this covers situations where consultants who hold part-time positions within the trust work for other employers during the time when they are not employed by the trust.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
What employment contracts, consultancies (whole or part-time) or liaison arrangements have existed between the agrochemical companies Zeneca and Novartis or their predecessors and the Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) since 1990; and how many of these arrangements are current. [HL67]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:There are no employment contracts or consultancies between the Medical Toxicology Unit and the agrochemical companies Zeneca and Novartis or their predecessors. The Medical Toxicology Unit has received funding from Zeneca to maintain a database on the incidence 111WA of paraquat poisoning in the United Kingdom. This project was originally set up in 1980 at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Medical Toxicology Unit has also received funding from Zeneca in 2000 towards the establishment of a specialist registrar position in medical toxicology with an emphasis on agrochemical toxicology and product safety.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Ethics Committee approval was necessary for any joint staffing arrangements between the Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) and agrochemical companies. [HL68]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:There are no joint staffing arrangements between the Medical Toxicology Unit and agrochemical companies. All staff are required to adhere to the trust's policies on disclosure of interest and additional earnings.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any members of staff employed by the Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) have a formal qualification in crop protection science or have published research in pesticide-related science; and, if so, who they are. [HL91]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The consultant grade scientist who is the manager of the National Poisons Information Service (London centre), which is part of the Medical Toxicology Unit, was awarded a post-graduate diploma in crop protection from Harper Adams Agricultural College.
112WA
Red meat White meat Full throughput Low throughput Full throughput Low throughput Month Not operating Licence revoked Not operating Licence revoked Not operating Licence revoked Not operating Licence revoked January 1999 10 1 11 — 3 1 11 2 February 11 — 9 1 — — 2 1 March 8 — 6 3 1 — — 1 April 9 — 12 3 1 — 3 2 May 7 2 11 — 2 — 8 1 June 6 — 13 2 2 — 8 — July 9 — 15 3 2 — 8 — August 8 — 15 — 4 — 9 — September —1 — —1 1 —1 — —1 — October —1 — —1 2 —1 — —1 — November 9 1 21 1 6 — 10 — December 8 — 18 2 9 1 9 — January 2000 11 — 16 — 5 — 5 — February 11 1 18 — 3 — 3 1 March 13 3 22 4 5 1 7 — April 14 1 22 — 6 — 11 — May 17 2 22 2 5 — 11 — June 15 — 23 1 6 — 8 — July 15 1 20 — 5 — 7 — Publications on organophosphate pesticide related science/disease by the Medical Toxicology Unit staff have appeared in the following journals:
- Human and Experimental Toxicology,
- Human Toxicology,
- New England Journal of Medicine,
- British Journal of Anaesthesia,
- Anaesthesia, and
- Public Health British Medical Journal.