HL Deb 15 April 1981 vol 419 cc1025-6WA
Lord Hale

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether as reported in the New Scientist (8th January 1981) it has now been agreed that some sprays in use as pesticides are so volatile that they can and do vaporise after they settle and can drift on to adjoining properties with damage to third parties.

The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Ferrers)

Yes; but this particular problem needs to be kept in perspective. Any risk of damage of the kind to which the noble Lord refers arises only if certain ester formulations have been used in the vicinity of susceptible crops; and then only if subsequent weather conditons are such not only that vaporisation occurs but also that any drift is borne in the direction of the crop concerned. In practice damage from drifting herbicides more frequently results from spray droplets. I have personally been concerned with urgent action, in association with the various interests concerned, to alert farmers to the risk of damage resulting from any form of herbicide drift and to ways of avoiding it.