Pesticides (Hansard, 12 November 1990)

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has made an assessment of the environmental implications resulting from the increase in crop acreage and total pesticide treated area between 1970 and 1989; if he will make it his policy to institute a programme to decrease the acreage subject to pesticide spraying; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
The Advisory Committee on Pesticides, through its environmental panel, monitors continuously the impact of pesticides, particularly on wildlife. The results are published annually and show that the procedures involved in registration of crop protection chemicals have largely eliminated adverse effects from approved uses.
The Government have set out their policy on pesticides in the environment White Paper. The first of its governing principles is that the amounts of pesticide used should be limited to the minimum necessary for the effective control of pests compatible with the protection of human health and the environment. This Department is spending over £20 million per year on research into pests and pesticides, particularly aimed at reducing their usage. The tonnage of pesticidal active ingredients has actually dropped by 17 per cent. over the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now require foodstuffs which may contain pesticide residues to be labelled as such.

§ Mr. Maclean
The labelling of foodstuffs treated with pesticides is being considered by the Food Advisory Committee as part of a review of food labelling which is expected to be concluded by the end of the year. EC Agriculture Ministers will discuss on 27 November a proposal for compulsory labelling of fruit and vegetables treated post-harvest, but are likely to recommend further preparatory work by the Commission.

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has made a recent estimate of the quantities of pesticide residues present within the flesh of fruit; what steps he has taken to measure these quantities; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
The Department's central science laboratories are currently studying the distribution of residues between flesh and peel of apples treated with common pesticides. The results of this work will be published.