§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of samples notified to his Ministry of bread, bran or flour contained residues of pesticides or insecticides.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe working party on pesticide residues has mounted a major survey of residues in cereals and cereal products over the last three years. The results have been passed to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the steering group on food surveillance, who were578W satisfied that the figures did not represent a hazard to consumers. These results will be published in the next report of the working party on pesticide residues.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to introduce maximum residue levels for relevant pesticides used on celery, lettuce and potatoes; and what evidence he has as to whether the relevant levels recommended by the United Nations are regularly exceeded in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. RyderOver 90 maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides used on celery, lettuce and potatoes will come into effect on 31 December 1988. A further six MRLs, which are the subject of this question, will be introduced as soon as possible thereafter. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on this point to the hon. member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 19 October 1988, at column 875. For these six pesticide/commodity combinations it is recognised that approved uses in this country can sometimes lead to residues above the United Nations Codex Alimentarius Commission limits. Evidence for this derives from research and monitoring and is published in the reports of the working party on pesticide residues. The results of monitoring suggest that only a small proportion of samples reaching the consumer will have residues above codex MRLs, which are themselves not safety limits but designed to incorporate margins of safety. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on this point to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 25 October 1988, at column 1408.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the health risks associated with the consumption of baby vegetables grown on peat blocks impregnated with combinations of pesticides.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe Research Consultative Committee Residues sub-group set up to advise the main committee on its report to the Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food noted that there is an increasing tendency to harvest "baby" beetroot, carrots and onions. Clearance data relate to full-term crops and the sub-group therefore recommended that studies should be undertaken to investigate the implications for residues especially where the crop is grown in peat blocks treated with pesticide. The Priorities Board will consider this recommendation later this month.