§ Miss Maynardasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the adequacy of tests under the pesticides safety precautions scheme prior to the marketing of new products; if he will publish the testing procedures under the scheme; and if he will assess the risk for each of the chemicals listed as dangerous in the regulations governing the use of pesticides.
§ Mr. StrangWe have every confidence in the tests which the Government's independent advisory committee uses to assess any potential risk, whether to users, food consumers and the public generally; to domestic animals, beneficial insects and other wild life; or to our soil, air and water. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the pesticides safety precautions scheme booklet describing the general test procedures and methodology— a copy of this booklet has also been placed in the Library of the House; and wherever necessary the advisory committee will, of course, prescribe further or special test 55W régimes. The booklet illustrates not only how risks are assessed to establish whether a product can safely be marketed at all; but also the type of safeguards, such as regulations and labelling provisions, which are introduced on the basis of the committee's medical and scientific advice.