§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the type and name of pesticides, which are banned in(a) France, (b) West Germany and (c) the Netherlands, but permitted in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RyderCouncil directive 79/117/EEC, prohibiting the placing on the market and use of plant protection products containing certain active substances, and its amending directives (183/131, 85/298, 86/214, 86/355, 87/181 and 87/477) list those pesticides that are prohibited throughout the European Community. A copy of this directive is available in the Library of the House.
Member states may also approve or prohibit other pesticides nationally, but there is no central register of such actions. The United Kingdom Government approve only pesticides that are submitted for specific uses within its territory and are supported by appropriate safety and efficacy data. Advice on these matters is given by an independent expert committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, to the six authorising departments, the Department of Health, the agricultural Departments and the Health and Safety Executive. Lists of approved pesticides are likely to differ between member states due to differing climatic and environmental conditions, the types of crops grown and differing agricultural practises.