§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the safety and effectiveness of lindane-based sheep dips with particular reference to their performance relative to organophosphorus dips; what conclusions he has drawn from the recent pesticides safety directorate review of lindane (gamma HCH); and if he will make a statement. [37802]
§ Mrs. BrowningLicences authorising the use of lindane-based sheep dips were revoked in 1984. There has been no application for a marketing authorisation for lindane-based sheep dips since then and no assessment of936W the safety or effectiveness of such veterinary medicines have been undertaken subsequently in the United Kingdom.
The independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides concluded, in February, a very thorough review of the uses of lindane as an agricultural pesticide regulated under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. The Committee recommended that all approvals of lindane for such agricultural uses should continue subject to certain further steps being taken to protect lindane users, improvements to product labelling and the subsequent submission of further data. Ministers in all the regulatory Departments have accepted these recommendations which are being implemented.