§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to screen all 588W pesticides for efficacy; and if he will arrange for the screening of all pesticides already cleared but not approved.
§ Mrs. FennerI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Mr. John) on Monday 19 November 1984 at column 77. The screening of pesticides cleared for safety but not approved for efficacy will be undertaken over a period of time taking account of the importance of the case and available resources.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will study the mechanisms under the United States Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act for disclosure to the public of data resulting from environmental health and safety tests submitted by manufacturers to gain registration of a pesticide, with a view to introducing an equivalent system into the United Kingdom.
§ Mrs. FennerWe are aware of the provisions of this legislation. The treatment of data submitted by manufacturers seeking approval of pesticides under future United Kingdom arrangements will be the subject of consultation as regulations to implement part III of the Food and Environment Protection Bill are prepared.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take, under the Food and Environment Protection Bill [Lords], to inform the public when approval of a pesticide is withdrawn on environmental, health or safety grounds.
§ Mrs. FennerMinisters intend to announce the withdrawal of pesticides in the same manner as they will announce their approval—by entry in the London and RegionalGazettes, and, as in the recent case of DDT, by press notice, where appropriate.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to require hazard warning information to be included in pesticide advertisements and on manufacturers' labels.
§ Mrs. FennerHazard warnings are required as an integral part of existing pesticide labelling requirements. These requirements will become statutory when the proposed legislation is implemented.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals to seek to make it illegal to sell, offer for sale or distribute for sale or harvest food or food crops contaminated with a pesticide which has not been cleared or approved under the pesticides safety precautions scheme, or its replacement, for use on that crop.
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§ Mrs. FennerThe Food and Environment Protection Bill will give powers to make regulations to(a) control the import, sale, supply and use of pesticides and (b) seize or dispose of anything treated with any pesticide which contravenes these conditions. Ministers intend to make use of these powers by means of implementing regulations, which will be the subject of wide-ranging public consultation during 1985.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposals in the Food and Environment Protection Bill [Lords] to control advertising of pesticides.
§ Mrs. FennerThe powers afforded by clause 15(1)(c) would be sufficiently wide to permit Ministers to control the advertising of pesticides if at any time they considered it necessary.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those pesticides registered for use in the United States of America, and cleared under the pesticides safety precaution scheme in the United Kingdom, for which manufacturers' test data are available from the United States but not from the Government or industry in the United Kingdom.
§ Mrs. FennerNo. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Government intend to set legal limits to residues in specified fruit and vegetables in compliance with EEC directive 76/895.
§ Mrs. FennerDirective 76/895, as amended, fixing maximum limits for pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables, has been implemented in the United Kingdom by administrative means. Powers to set legal limits will be provided by the Food and Environment Protection Bill, and the timing and extent of their implementation will be the subject of a full public consultation.