HC Deb 12 February 1985 vol 73 cc107-10W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a Green Paper on pesticides and environment policy review.

Mrs. Fenner

No. Part III of the Food and Environment Protection Bill, which has just received its First Reading in the House, seeks powers to ensure the safe and efficient use of pesticides, taking full account of environmental concerns. It was drafted after wide-ranging consultation with interested organisations. The Government are committed to a second round of consultation on the detailed content of implementary regulations, and a discussion document will be issued for that purpose, as soon as possible.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give a timetable for the drawing up of regulations, consultations with interested parties and the issuing and implementation of regulations for the Food and Environment Protection Bill [Lords].

Mrs. Fenner

Subject to the views of Parliament on part III of the Food and Environment Protection Bill, I hope that the Government will be in a position to circulate a new consultation document detailing the proposed regulations and the administrative arrangements which will accompany them in the late spring. The consultations on these proposals will continue for as long as necessary, but our aim is to lay the regulations in Parliament this autumn, with a view to their entry into force early in 1986.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he intends making to allow observers to attend the meetings of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides; and what steps he is taking to make public its proceedings, apart from publication of an annual report.

Mrs. Fenner

The Government believe that the discussions of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides should be conducted in such a way as to allow them to take place with frankness and informality. Furthermore, the committee is dealing with information, some of which is commercially sensitive and valuable and which, therefore, cannot be made public. For these reasons, I and my right hon. Friends believe that an annual report containing safety assessments and the recommendations of the ACP is the right way of informing the public of its work.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those pesticide products cleared under the pesticides safety precautions scheme containing methyl isothiocyanate, or liberating methyl isothiocyanate when used.

Mrs. Fenner

I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what study he has made in the context of the preparation of the Food and Environment Protection Bill [Lords] of the United States system of rebuttable presumptions against registration issued as a revokable injunction against the use of pesticides suspected of causing a serious environmental, safety or health hazard; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Fenner

I am aware of the system of review of approval of pesticides employed in the United States. In the UK, the pesticides safety precautions scheme already includes provision for the clearance of any pesticide to be reviewed in the light of new scientific evidence on risk. Where appropriate, clearance can be revoked and the pesticide withdrawn from use. In addition, we are proposing, under the Food and Environment Protection Bill, reviews of the registration status ofall pesticide products approved for use in this country at regular intervals. I am satisfied that these arrangements provide the necessary controls.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has made any studies and if it has any forecast or estimates available to it of the number of pesticides expected to be approved, and of the volume of pesticide active ingredients expected to be used, in 1986, 1990, 1985 and 2000.

Mrs. Fenner

No. It is not possible to predict how many new chemicals will be developed and how many of those will achieve approval for use in the UK. For similar reasons, we do not make estimates of future pesticides usage. However, it is our declared policy aim to reduce usage to the minimum consistent with efficient agricultural and horticultural production.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many pesticide clearances or approvals he expects to revoke or suspend as a result of the powers he is seeking under the Food and Environment Protection Bill [Lords], in its first year.

Mrs. Fenner

If the Food and Environment Protection Bill is approved the Government intend to review existing clearances, but it is too soon to anticipate the result.

Mr. John

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of occasions in each of the past five years in which Ministers failed to act on a recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides regarding the safety clearance of a pesticide.

Mrs. Fenner

During the last five years, Ministers have accepted and acted upon all the final recommendations of the advisory committee for pesticides regarding safety clearances.

Mr. John

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and of each of its subcommittees, giving in each case occupation and qualifications for membership.

Mrs. Fenner

Current members of the advisory committee on pesticides are:

Chairman: Professor R. Kilpatrick, CBE, MD, FRCP(Ed), FRCP(Lond) — Dean of Faculty of Medicine, University of Leicester School of Medicine.

Members: Professor C. L. Berry, MD, PhD, FRCPath—Professor of Morbid Anatomy, The London Hospital Medical College (Chairman, Scientific Sub-Committee) R. L. Carter, MA, DM, DSc, FRCPath — Reader in Pathology and Consultant Pathologist, The Haddow Laboratories, Royal Marsden Hospital. L. E. Coles BPharm, PhD, CChem, MPhA, MChemA, FPS, FRSC, County Analyst, Agricultural Analyst, Mid and West Glamorgan County Council. Professor E. B. G. Jones, PhD, DSc, Professor of Microbiology, Director of Research, Department of Biological Sciences, Portsmouth Polytechnic. Professor J. Knoweldon, CBE, MD, FRCP, FFCM, DPH, JP, Professor of Community Medicine (Semi-retired), Department of Community Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School. Professor R. I. McCallum, MD, DSc, FRCP, FFOM, Head of Occupational Health and Hygiene, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Professor G. R. Sagar, MA DPhil (Oxon), Head, School of Plant Biology, University College of North Wales. R. S. Tayler, BSc (Agric), Dip Agric, NDA, Senior Tutor, Crop Production, Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading. Professor M. J. Way, MA, DSC, Professor of Applied Zoology, University of London, Imperial College Field Station. Assessors from the following Government Departments and Agencies also attend:

  • Agriculture and Food Research Council
  • Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland
  • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland
  • Department of Education and Science
  • Department of the Environment
  • Department of Health and Social Security
  • Department of Trade and Industry
  • Health and Safety Executive
  • Laboratory of the Government Chemist
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
  • Medical Research Council
  • Natural Environment Research Council
  • Nature Conservancy Council
  • Scottish Home and Health Department
  • Welsh Office Agriculture Department
Membership of its Scientific Sub-Committee is as follows:

Chairman Professor C. L. Berry, MD, PhD, FRCPath, Professor of Morbid Anatomy, The London Hospital Medical College.

Members: Dr. D. C. Abbott, BSc, PhD, CChem, FRSC, Formerly Deputy Director, Government Analyst (Retd.), Laboratory of the the Government Chemist. Mr. P. J. Attwood, BSc, Assistant to Senior Agronomist, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Mr. J. A. R. Bates, BCc, Chem, FRSC, Head of Pesticides Registration Department, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. Dr. B. M. Buckley, MB, MsC, DPhil, FRCPI*, Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sandwell General Hospital. Dr. H. D. Burges, BSc, PhD*, Head of Insect Pathology Section, Glasshouse Crops Research Institute. Dr. A. S. Cooke, BSc, PhD, MIBiol*, Toxic Chemicals Specialist, Chief Scientist's Directorate, Nature Conservancy Council. Dr. D. Gall, BM, Clinical Toxician, Medical Division, Ministry of Defence, Chemical Defence Establishment. Mr. H. J. Gould, BSc, Head of Entomology Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Dr. M. J. Griffin, BSc, PhD, Regional Plant Pathologist, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Mr. G. A. Hamilton, CChem, FRSC, Head of Chemistry Section, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. Dr. J. W. W. Morgan, BSc, PhD, FRSC, FIWSc, Head, Timber and Protection Division, Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment. Professor D. I. H. Simpson, MD, FRCPath, FIBiol*, Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, The Queen's University of Belfast. Dr. P. I. Stanley, BSc, PhD, Head of Pest Control Chemistry Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Mr. F. M. Sullivan, BSc*, Senior Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology, Guy's Hospital. Mr. J. Summerscales, NDA, MIAgrE*, HM Department Chief Agricultural Inspector, Health and Safety Executive, HM Agricultural Inspectorate. Professor D. R. Turner, MB, BS, PhD, FRCPath, Head of Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Nottingham.

Mr. John

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those pesticides which are cleared for aerial spraying and which are also classified as poisonous substances.

Mrs. Fenner

The Poisonous Substances in Agriculture Regulations 1984* prescribe the precautions to be taken when using specified substances in agriculture. Products containing the following substances specified in the regulations have clearance for aerial application:

  • azinphos-methyl
  • chlorfenvinphos
  • demephion
  • demeton-S-methyl
  • dichlovos
  • fentin acetate
  • omethoate
  • oxydemeton-methyl
  • phorate (granules only)
  • phosphamidon
  • thiometon

With the exception of phorate, all these products fall in the lowest risk category (schedule 2, part III) of the regulations, which require certain protective clothing to be worn when handling the product in concentrated form, or when acting as a ground marker during aerial application. There is no statutory requirement for users to wear protective clothing when handling the product in dilute form. Phorate falls into a higher risk category (schedule 2, part II), but is only cleared for aerial application in granular form.