§ Miss Quennellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he is aware of the possible deleterious side-effects to cattle in the use of the chemical trichlorphon; and if he will make a statement on the deaths of cattle on a Kentish farm recently from this cause;
(2) when his Department was first informed of the proposed use of the chemical trichlorphon for cattle; what tests or trials had been made on it at that time, and over what period; what tests or trials were subsequently required by 338W his Department; and of what duration these were.
§ Mr. PeartFormulations of trichlorphon for veterinary use were notified to the then Advisory Committee on the Use of Poisonous Substances in Agriculture and Food Storage in July, 1960. The notification was supported by detailed information about extensive field trials and experimental work carried out over a period of years, including evidence that in rare cases trichlorphon can produce transient reactions in correctly treated animals. The use of these and later formulations were cleared on the basis of this information and subject to the observance of recommended precautions. My officers were not consulted about the deaths of cattle to which the hon. Member refers, and I am unable to say whether these were in any way due to the use of trichlorphon.