§ Mr. J. Morrisonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet received the report of the Working Party under the chairmanship of Professor Zuckerman on the risks to wild life arising from the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture.
Mr. AmoryYes. The Report is published today and copies are available in the Vote Office. This third Report of the Working Party completes its survey of the precautionary measures needed in using toxic chemicals in agriculture. The Secretary of State for Scotland and I would take this opportunity of thanking Professor Zuckerman and his colleagues for the valuable contribution they have made to this important and difficult subject.
The view is expressed in the Report that in a normal season in Britain the number of casualties to wild birds and animals caused by spraying is not particularly high compared with other causes of death. The Working Party does not consider that further legislation is needed at present.
The Working Party recommends that the knowledge of the subject it was asked to review should be extended urgently by further research. It recommends that risks to wild life, both flora and fauna, arising from the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, should be kept under review by the Inter-Departmental Advisory Committee set up in accordance with the recommendations of the second Report of the Working Party, and that the Committee should include representatives of nature conservation interests.
Finally, it is recommended that the importance of certain precautionary 84W measures should be clearly made known to spraying contractors, farmers, growers and bee-keepers.