§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's marine laboratory's research into the environmental effect of Nuvan 500 EC; and when he expects the results to be published.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe results of studies of the toxicity of dichlorvos, the active ingredient of Nuvan 500 EC, to the larvel forms of the lobster homarus gammarus and the herring clupea hargenus will be published later this year.
Other studies of the effects on marine life of prolonged or repeated exposure to low levels of dichlorvos are planned.
§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action his Department is taking to prevent dichlorvos from Nuvan 500 EC from entering the aquatic environment.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine laboratory is studying ways of minimising release of dichlorvos into the marine environment by current methods of treatment in co-operation with the fish farming industry.