Pesticides (Hansard, 21 February 1985)

§ Mr. Ron Davies
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department is carrying out or is aware of, apart from the Boxworth experiment, into the effects of pesticides on (a) moths and butterflies, (b) flowering plants, (c) birds and (d) beneficial insects that may be exposed to pesticides in hedgerows or other habitats contaminated by spray or vapour drift.

§ Mr. MacGregor
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the next 10 pesticides which are to be subject to a full review of safety and or efficacy by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.

§ Mr. MacGregor
It is not possible to anticipate decisions of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. However, the committee carried out reviews in 1984 on the uses of aminotriazole, chlorbromuron, ethylene dibromide, and ethylene dichloride.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to which insecticide products or active ingredients in use (a) in food or crops storage, (b) on main crops and (c) in horticulture, increased pest resistance has developed since their clearance under the PSPS.

§ Mr. MacGregor
Pest resistance has developed to the following pesticide active ingredients, still in use:

(a) food storage practice — bendiocarb, biorespethrin, bromophos, chlordane, chloropyriphos-methyl, deltamethrin, diazinon, dichlorvos, dieldrin, dimethoate, etrimfos, fenchlorphos, fenitrothion, HCH, lodofenphos, malathion, methacrifos, methyl bromide, permethrin, pimimiphos methyl, propoxur, pyrethrins, resmethrin, tetramethrin, trichlorphon;

(b) in agriculture and horticulture — aldicarb, aldrin, binapacryl, chlorbenside, chlorfenson, cypermethrin, dicofol, fenson, HCH, permethrin, pirimicarb, tetradifon; and a range of organophosphorous active ingredients.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what pest or disease would normally be controlled through the spraying of the pesticide fenitrothion.

§ Mr. MacGregor
Under the agricultural chemicals approval scheme fenitrothion is approved for the control of the following pests in agriculture, horticulture, and food storageaphids, apple blossom weevil, apple sawfly, capsids, codling, tortrix and winter moths and suckers (apple and pear), aphids and caterpillars (pium), capsids and sawflies (blackcurrant and gooseberry), raspberry beetle, raspberry cane midge, strawberry tortrix aphids, midge, moths, thrips and weevils (pea), frit fly (maize and sweet corn), saddle gall midge, wheat blossom midge and thrips in cereals and (by making a bran bait), leatherjackets in cereals. Also treatment of the farm grain stores to control saw-toothed grain beetle, grain weevil, rust-red grain beetle and rust-red flour beetle.
Forestry pests that may be controlled by fenitrothion are pine beauty moth and winter moth under the pesticides safety precautions scheme.
It is also cleared for use in animal husbandry and in and around the home and garden.