§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what figures of recent animal deaths in Kent have been given to the Advisory Committee on Poisonous Substances used in Agriculture and Food Storage to assist it in its review of rodenticidal use of fluoroacetamide.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsIn reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) on 24th February, my right hon. Friend gave the numbers of animals which we know or believe to have died as a result of this outbreak of fluoroacetamide poisoning. The investigations into the outbreak were conducted by the Ministry's Central Veterinary Laboratory and Infestation Control Laboratory. Officers from both laboratories serve on the Advisory Committee and the Committee has had full access to all information required for the review.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, since 125W fish survive in laboratory tank water containing eight parts per million of fluoroacetamide, whereas fish placed in water taken from ditches and ponds near a south-eastern factory which made fluoroacetamide, and which showed no fluoroacetamide content on analysis, die in a matter of minutes, if he will say what research he is undertaking to determine what kills these fish.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsI have no information about the tests to which my hon and gallant Friend refers, but fish placed in water taken from ditches and ponds may well die as a result of deoxygenisation, common in stagnant water, irrespective of the presence or absence of fluoroacetamide.