HC Deb 24 July 1968 vol 769 cc125-6W
96. Sir T. Beamish

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with which other Governments he has had consultations about legal tolerances for toxic residues in foodstuffs; and if he will publish a White Paper giving the tolerances laid down in other countries, and summarising the advice he has received from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee, so that the problem can be studied before legislation is introduced.

Mr. Hoy

The United Kingdom is represented on the Committee on Pesticide Residues of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which discusses the establishment of agreed legal residue limits for pesticides on foodstuffs moving in international trade. I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the 23 countries which sent delegates to the last session of the Committee held in September, 1967.

The cost of preparing a comprehensive paper on national tolerances would be substantial and could not be justified, particularly as the information would be out of date before it was published. The advice so far received from the two Advisory Committees was published in full on the 26th January, 1967.

GOVERNMENTS REPRESENTED AT THE SECOND SESSION
(September, 1967)
Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
Argentina Italy
Austria Japan
Australia Netherlands
Belgium New Zealand
Brazil Norway
Canada Poland
Denmark Switzerland
France Thailand
Germany, Fed. Rep. Turkey
Ghana United Kingdom
Ireland U.S.A.
Israel