§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines his Department currently issues on the use of benomyl as a crop fungicide; what precautions he advises on its use; what are the effects of misuse; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Hector MonroMy Department receives advice on pesticide safety issues from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, an independent body of scientific and medical experts. Following a review of benomyl by the ACP, it was announced in March of this year that there was no cause for concern over its continued use in the United Kingdom.
In addition to the statutory conditions governing pesticide usage in general, benomyl products carry label restrictions including warning not to contaminate waterways, to keep off skin, to wash after use, to empty the container completely and dispose of safely; and, for home garden produce, to store away from children. Exposure to extremely large amounts of benomyl can cause anophthalimia and microphthalmia in rats. However, provided conditions of use are followed, exposure of consumers and operators is 1,000 times less than that demonstrated as a no-effect level in rats.