§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the action of the Coventry City Council in calling in, and opening three centres to enable people to hand in, six proprietary brands of insecticides containing mono-fluoroacetic acid and its salts, namely tritox, megatox fluoron, vitux F.15, flac and finovakil, on the ground that these substances could kill people and should not be emptied into lavatories or drains or over gardens, because they could contaminate soil and water; and what steps he is now taking on a nation-wide scale to protect the population against these poisons.
§ Mr. WoodhouseYes. Farmers having stocks of agricultural insecticides containing fluoroacetamide have been advised to return them to their suppliers. Gardeners who have been able to obtain only insecticides containing not more than 1 per cent, of fluoroacetamide, such as tritox, have been advised, where there is main drainage, that it is safe to empty this substance down the drains if followed by plenty of water; in other areas they should return it to the supplier. Under the Poisons Rules as amended by the Poisons (Fluoroacetamide and Fluoroacetanilide) Rules, 1964, which came into effect on 7th February, any22W derivative of fluoroacetic acid at present in use can lawfully be sold or supplied by retail only to a person producing a certificate given by a medical officer of health or an official of one of the agricultural Departments. Such a certificate can be given only for the use of the substance as a rodenticide in a ship, aircraft, hangar, sewer, or industrial premises or warehouse, the location of which is shown in the certificate. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked the Advisory Committee to review even these uses as a matter of urgency.