§ Mr. Jeffrey Archerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the continued use of DDT in Great Britain, in the light of the recent announcement by the Director of the American Environmental Protection Agency concerning this substance.
§ Mr. Peter MillsUnder the announcement to which my hon. Friend refers, the number of specified crops on which DDT may not be used in the USA will be increased by 10 from 31st December this year. In the replies given on 9th February, 1971, to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Iremonger) and to the hon. Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler) and on 30th March to the hon. Member for Walthamstow, East (Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson) my hon. Friend referred to measures to restrict the use in the United Kingdom of DDT and all other persistent organ chlorine pesticides. The main stages were completed by September last year, and permitted uses will be further restricted as satisfactory alternatives become available. Our measures are taking effect progressively, and there is already evidence that the residual levels of these chemicals in our environment are dropping and that the agricultural use of DDT in this country has declined by about 50 per cent—[Vol. 811, c.91–2;Vol. 811, c. 98; Vol. 814, c. 335.]