§ Mr. Bodyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give figures for public expenditure on research into (a) integrated pest management, (b) electrostatic spraying, (c) controlled droplet application and (d) pesticide toxicology, chemistry and efficacy, in each case for each year since 1970, and the estimated expenditure in each case for the future.
§ Mrs. FennerThe information for 1983–84 is as follows:626W
£ million Estimated expenditure on research into (a) Integrated pest management* †2.20 (b) Electrostatic spraying‡ 1.05 (c) Controlled droplet application‡ (d) Pesticide toxicology, chemistry and efficacy 4.90 Totals 8.15 * The figures for integrated pest management include work on the development of non-chemical melhods of control, such as favouring populations of natural predators of pests. They also include work on forecasting disease and pest development and the identification of thresholds of development at which it is economic to apply chemical treatments in an attempt to reduce the number of times pesticides might be applied. † The figure may be an underestimate. Other work done within commodity commissions cannot easily be extracted from genera) crop protection studies. ‡ MAFF, in its classification of research, does not differentiate between electrostatic sprayers and controlled droplet applicators, both employ controlled droplet techniques. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Work in future years will be determined by the needs of the Ministry and the agriculture and horticulture industries.