§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
740Wof the last four years; and how many have been exported.
§ Mr. BishopNo official statistics are collected of the numbers of calves born. In the last four years the numbers of dairy and beef cows recorded at the June census was as shown below. These give an approximate indication of the numbers of calves born each year. The level of calf exports should be seen in the context of total disposals, and the numbers of calf slaughterings are shown below as well as exports:
whether he is satisfied that the use of Cymag and similar products for pest control purposes should continue to be allowed, in view of the evident dangers to the environment when misused or mislaid.
§ Mr. StrangThe Advisory Committee on Pesticides has not recommended any such change, nor would I expect it to do so without convincing reasons. As with all dangerous substances, it is obviously important that products of this kind should not be handled carelessly or misused; and observance of prescribed precautions should preclude any risk to human and animal health, or to the environment generally. However, it is also important to preclude any serious and avoidable losses in our national food supplies; and such losses would certainly occur, if because of some individual instances of neglect or abuse, we withdrew clearance of approved products that are essential for effective control of the many pests and diseases to which growing and harvested crops are exposed.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make more stringent regulations controlling the use and general availability of dangerous chemicals such as "Cymag" and review the method of marking the containers of such products so that they can be readily identified when lost.
§ Mr. StrangCyanide gassing powders are among the agrochemicals which are 741W subject not only to the clearance, labelling and other safeguards of the pesticides safety precautions scheme, but also to close control of sales under the poisons legislation administered by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. Thus "Cymag" can be sold only by authorised persons and must be in containers labelled with the word "poison" either in red lettering or set against a red background; and the active substance involved and the prescribed safety precautions for use of the product must appear on the label. Additionally, the manufacturers have anticipated EEC proposals, now under consideration, by marking containers with the "skull and cross-hone" warning symbol. We would certainly give urgent consideration to any further safeguards which the Advisory Committee on Pesticides might recommend for this or any similar product.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what study his Department has undertaken in recent years to determine the long-term effects of the continued use of poisonous substances on land for weed control and general cultivation.
§ Mr. StrangIn general, the vast majority of agrochemicals used for husbandry operations on the farm—including those to which the hon. Member refers—do not persist in the land or elsewhere. Those which persist or do not rapidly degrade have long been the subject of special scrutiny by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides; and clearance of these products is progressively being withdrawn save for the limited uses where effective substitutes are not yet available. The Advisory Committee has regularly reviewed the long-term effects of agrochemicals; and many of the related studies have been undertaken by the Agricultural Research Council and my Department.