§ 87 and 88. Mr. Braineasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if an estimate has yet been made by his Department of the damage done to growing crops by the indiscriminate use of hormone weed killers;
(2) whether he will order an investigation to be made before the next crop season with a view to suitable regulations being devised to ensure that damage caused to growing crops by the uncontrolled drift of hormone weed killer spray is reduced to the minimum.
§ Mr. GodberIt has not been possible to make any firm estimate of the total damage due to spray drift. My Department, in consultation with the National Farmers' Union and the Agricultural Improvement Council, has been giving close attention to this question. It should be possible by advice and publicity to do much to mitigate spray damage and my Department will do all it can to help in these directions in the coming spraying season.