HC Deb 28 January 1988 vol 126 c319W
Sir Hector Monro

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action has been taken to ensure the safe use of pesticides on the farm.

Mr. Donald Thompson

Part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 gave wide powers which were implemented by the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 and its consents. When using pesticides operators have been obliged since 6 October 1986:

  1. (a) to use only products which have been approved under the regulations;
  2. (b) "to take all reasonable precautions to protect the health of human beings, creatures and plants, to safeguard the environment, and in particular to avoid the pollution of water"; (Consent No. 2, 2nd Condition).
  3. (c) to ensure that they are competent for the duties they are to perform.

From 1 January 1988 they must observe certain conditions of use described on the pesticide label, including the target crop, maximum dose-rate and environmental and operator safeguards.

The consents have also introduced a number of additional conditions upon use with which aerial operators must comply.

To help farmers to fulfil these obligations we have:

  1. (i) issued and amended a booklet which lists all pesticides which have approved status;
  2. (ii) supplemented guidance booklets and leaflets with a first draft of a code of practice on agricultural and horticultural use; a revised text of which will be made available in the early spring;
  3. (iii) established training standards with the agricultural training board and certification arrangements with the National Proficiency Tests Council;
  4. (iv) arranged with the Civil Aviation Authority for the guidance booklet which it issues to aerial operators to contain details of the further rules now applicable to aerial operations.

In order to avoid farmers being inspected by different bodies for different safety legislation, an agency agreement has been entered into with the Health and Safety Executive, and Her Majesty's agricultural inspectors are authorised to enforce the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.