§ 16. Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will have published the names of agricultural insecticides based on organo-phosphorous compounds.
§ Mr. HoyThe list of products for farmers and growers approved for efficiency under the Agricultural Chemicals Approval Scheme indicates those which are based on organo-phosphorous compounds. Manufacturers participating in the Pesticides Safety Precautions Scheme indicate on the label of their products when an agricultural insecticide is so based.
§ 17. Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the lethal and epidemic qualities of certain agricultural insecticides such as those based on organo-phosphorous compounds from the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HoyThere are no agricultural insecticides on sale in this country based on organo-phosphorous compounds provided by the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment.
§ Mr. WalkerIs my hon. Friend aware that a lecture on this subject was given recently by the senior principal scientific officer of that establishment? Is he aware that one of these pesticides was recently reported in the Press as the cause of a small township in the United States needing to be evacuated because of its accidental misuse, and that this particular compound, Paraphion, is freely available to members of the public in this country? In the public interest, should not my hon. Friend prohibit it and the use of other similar pesticides?
§ Mr. HoyWe exercise tremendous care in dealing with these matters. We have advisory committees consisting of really eminent people to consider them. I was unaware of the lecture to which my hon. Friend has referred. I shall certainly look at what he has said in the last part of his supplementary question.