§ Mr. Norman HoggTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why oil dispersants are not tested on marine animal and plant life present in surface waters.
§ Mr. CurryOil dispersants are tested using the brown shrimp Crangon crangon, for the sea test, and the common limpet Patella vulgata, for the rocky shore test. These marine animal species are considered to be suitably representative of marine life for the tests, which are intended to assess the toxicity of a dispersant, or a dispersant mixed with oil, in comparison with the toxicity of oil alone. However, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 1 April at column329 which announced a review of the current arrangements for the testing and approval of oil dispersants.