HC Deb 24 November 1986 vol 106 cc61-2W
Sir John Farr

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy that the aldicarb pesticide Temik will not be made available for sale or cleared by the Pesticide Registration Department until an evaluation has been made in the United Kingdom of its effects on the immune system.

Mr. Thompson

[pursuant to his reply, 21 November 1986; c. 376]: The insecticide Temik 10G, containing the active ingredient aldicarb, is approved under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. It has been evaluated by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and its Scientific Sub-Committee and was first cleared for use in 1974.

Health and Social Services Board Number of authorised pay beds in general hospitals Average number of pay beds occupied by private patients in general hospitals Percentage occupancy
Eastern 87 18.9 21.7
Northern 19 3.4 17.9
Southern 14 2.4 17.1
Western 21 2.8 13.3
Northern Ireland 141 27.5 19.5

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give for each year since 1979 for National Health Service hospitals in Northern Ireland (a) the number of paybeds, (b) the average number occupied by private patients, (c) the occupancy rate as a percentage, (d) the number of private in-patients and (e) the number of private out-patients.

The recently-introduced statutory arrangements for approving pesticides make provision for approvals to be reviewed at any time in the light of new evidence. We have made urgent arrangements to obtain details of the Wisconsin university studies referred to in recent press reports, and these will be evaluated carefully by the appropriate experts before any consideration is given to the status of the product under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.