§ Lord Rotherwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
What pesticides are being used for weeds around roads and railways now that atrazine has been withdrawn. [HL2692]
72WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)A wide variety of approved pesticides may be used on and around roads and railways, including products approved for use on hard surfaces, amenity vegetation and amenity grassland.
These products contain a variety of active substances, including 2,4-D; asulam; bifenox; bromoxynil; citronella oil; clopyralid; dicamba; dichlorprop-P; diquat; ethofumesate; ferrous sulphate; fluroxypyr; glufosinate-ammonium: ioxynil; isoxaben; MCPA; mecoprop-P; paraquat; triclopyr; carbetamide; chlorthal-dimethyl; dichlobenil; diflufenican; diuron; glyphosate; lenacil; metazachlor; oxadiazon; pentanochlor; propachlor; propyzamide; trifluralin; amitrole; dichlorophen; sodium chlorate; picloram and amitrole/aminotriazole.
Products containing a further active substance, simazine, have been the subject of an EC-wide review which has concluded that approval for sale and supply should be revoked. However products may continue to be used until the end of September 2005.
The specific choices of pesticides to use on or around roads or railways are operational matters for the Highways Agency, local authorities and Network Rail.