§ Mr. Cryerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he or the Pesticides Advisory Committee took into account the Swedish study which found a sixfold increase in soft-tissue cancers among people who had been exposed to the chemical 2,4,5-T, when recommending that the chemical was safe to use.
§ Mr. WigginAs I told the House on 18 December, these studies concern people who were exposed to various chemicals, including 2,4,5-T; and, as I told the hon. Member on 13 March, not all the facts are yet available. When the Swedish authorities have published their findings and released the relevant data these will be considered by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the arrangements for the monitoring of the dioxin content of 2,4,5-T (a) used in the United Kingdom by the Forestry Commission and (b) sold for private use in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WigginThey are as described in the arrangements set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Dr. Thomas) on 30 January.—[Vol. 977, c.699.]
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether all batches of 2,4,5-T used in the United Kingdom are analysed for a dioxin content.
§ Mr. WigginYes.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the mean and maximum concentrations of dioxin found in 2,4,5-T sold for United Kingdom use in 1979, 1978 and 1977.
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§ Mr. WigginIn none of these years was dioxin found in excess of the WHO/ FAO standards of 0.1 mg/kg. This was close to the limit of determination, and below it the dioxin content, if any, could not be measured with the precision needed to establish mean concentrations.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if there is a maximum permissible concentration for the dioxin content of 2,4,5-T sold commercially for use in the United Kingdom; if so, what is this concentration; and since when this concentration has been enforced.
§ Mr. WigginYes. The WHO/FAO standard of 0.1 mg/kg has applied in the United Kingdom since 1970. This standard applies to any 2,4,5-T formulated in products used by the Forestry Commission.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation to control the use, packaging and labelling of substances involving the material 2,4,5-T.
§ Mr. WigginAll the necessary safeguards can be secured within the existing provisions.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations there are for the use of 2,4,5-T in the United Kingdom by (a) the Forestry Commission and (b) private users; whether such regulations are mandatory; and, if so, how they are enforced.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been asked to reply.
I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.