§ 10. Sir T. Mooreasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will introduce legislation to compel manufacturers of toxic materials to obtain prior approval from his Department before putting such materials on the market.
§ Mr. SoamesUnder the existing voluntary notification scheme no toxic chemical may be put on the market until it has been cleared by the Government's Advisory Committee. We are now extending the scheme to require all new chemicals to be notified and not only those which, in the manufacturers' opinion, could constitute a hazard. At the moment I have no plans for making notification compulsory.
§ Sir T. MooreI thank my right hon. Friend for that extremely satisfactory reply, but will he constantly bear in mind the danger to crops, animals, birds, and human beings if unsuitable toxic material is employed?
§ Mr. SoamesI am grateful to my hon. Friend. This we are constantly watching.