§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) in view of the reservations expressed by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides in its report of March 1979 concerning the verifiability of a 0.1 mg/kg standard of dioxin impurity in formulated products containing 2,4,5-T, what assurances he can now give that the new maximum permitted levels of 0.01 mg/kg of dioxin in the formulated herbicide can be validated and enforced;
(2) if he will now impose a ban on those formulated products containing 2.4.5-T as their active ingredient where
298W
§ Mr. StanleyThe information is attached.
The information requested for PSA holdings is as follows:
the presence of other impurities and substances interfere with the analysis of dioxin impurity and therefore makes the permitted level of 0.01 mg/kg of dioxin unverifiable.
§ Mr. WigginI am advised that the effect of the improved techniques developed at the laboratory of the Government Chemist, and announced on 22 May, is to enable the new permitted level of TCDD to be validated in formulated products; and therefore to be enforced.
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantities of 2,4,5-T and its derivatives are currently held in stock by distributors and handlers of the herbicide.
§ Mr. WigginThe information is not available, but suppliers and users have 299W been invited to provide data for purposes of the new usage survey announced on 22 May.
§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now publish the results of analyses carried out at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and analysts since January 1979 for the levels of TCDD impurity in 2,4,5-T sold on the open market.
§ Mr. WigginInformation is available only in respect of analyses undertaken by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist on behalf of my Department. I am informed that 15 such samples were analysed over this period; and in none of these was the TCDD content, if any, found to ex
NEW POTATOES (Tonnes) Week ending Source 16 May 23 May 30 May 6 June 13 June 20 June Spain 6,892 9,822 7,038 8,076 5,690 — Egypt 5,005 595 — — — — Cyprus 14,245 20,370 17,283 18,154 13,893 14,867 France — 824 4,607 10,075 5,964 2,280 Italy 280 — 180 40 20 — Greece 23 43 203 687 1,178 1,586 Israel 15 — — — — — Total imports 26,460 31,654 29,311 37,032 26,745 18,733 Jersey 73 247 2,262 6,938 7,456 7,053 Total arrivals 26,533 31,901 31,573 43,970 34,201 25,786
MAINCROP POTATOES (Tonnes) Week ending Source 16 May 23 May 30 May 6 June 13 June 20 June Netherlands 2,250 1,600 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 Belgium 40 — 20 20 20 20 West Germany 20 — — — — — Total 2,310 1,600 2,020 2,020 2,020 2,020 It is impossible to predict the quantity and source of imports during forthcoming weeks because they depend on supply and price considerations at home and abroad, themselves dependent on growing conditions which cannot be predicted. New potato imports so far this year have been less than for the comparable period in both 1978 and 1979. Maincrop imports are greater because until 9 April 1979 such imports were prohibited.
§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any evidence that potatoes whose
300Wceed the permitted level at the time—that is, 0.1 mg/kg up to 22 May 1980 and 0.01 mg/kg thereafter.