HL Deb 06 December 1999 vol 607 cc77-8WA
Lord Beaumont of Whitley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will specify, in respect of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and its use on genetically modified crops:

  1. (a) how many experimental permits they have given and refused under Regulation 5(2)(a) of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986;
  2. (b) the dales and periods of each such permit given and refused and the applicant companies;
  3. (c) the dates upon which they were provided with safety and other data as a result of testing and development under each such permit given; and
  4. (d) whether such safety and other data can or must be made publicly available. [HL40]

The Minsiter of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)

All experimental approvals for plant protection products, including the herbicide glufosinate ammonium, are considered under the Plant Protection Products Regulations 1995. To date the Ministry's Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) has granted four experimental approvals for the use of glufosinate ammonium on genetically modified crops under this legislation. No applications for such use have been refused to date. Unlike full or provisional pesticide approvals, details of experimental approvals are not made publicly available for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Lord Beaumont of Whitley

asked her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will specify, in respect of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and its use on genetically modified crops:

  1. (a) how many provisional approvals they have given and refused under Regulation 5(2)(b) of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986;
  2. (b) the dates and periods of each such approval given and refused and the applicant companies;
  3. (c) their outstanding data requirement at the time of giving each such approval;
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  5. (d) the dates upon which they were provided with any further data by virtue of each such approval given; and
  6. (e) the nature of, and their conclusions on, any such further data. [HL41]

Baroness Hayman

None. The Government have decided not to grant a commercial level of approval — i.e. a full or provisonal approval—to any herbicide products containing glufosinate ammonium for use on a crop genetically modified to be tolerant to that particular pesticide product unless and until such a time as the crop itself is legally on the market.

Lord Beaumont of Whitley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In respect of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and its use on genetically modified crops. what consents, if any, they have given under Regulation 6(b) of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986; and where and when they published such consents. [HL44]

Baroness Hayman

None. Consents are published as Schedules 1 to 4 inclusive of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986, as amended by the Control of Pesticides (Amendment) Regulations 1997. I shall write to the noble Lord to explain how these relate to particular approvals and the relationship between consents imposed under the pesticides legislation and the conditions conferred on individual pesticide approvals.