§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has taken to reduce the contamination of the habitats of birds and wild mammals from herbicides and pesticides; what studies have been(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department into the effects on habitats of pesticides and herbicides; and what assessment he has made of the impact of habitat depletion and contamination on wild birds in the United Kingdom. [15064]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe direct impact of each pesticide product on birds and wild mammals is assessed before an approval for that product is granted. Advice on the protection of wildlife and their habitats is provided particularly through the Code of Practice on the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings.
Details of current Government research were provided in my reply today and by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 17 December 1996, Official Report, column 544, to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell). The results of this research will be evaluated when available.