§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is taking place to ensure718W that toxic pesticides that bond with cereals can be detected; when he will publish all of his Department's pesticide residue tests, including those on fish; what percentage of the cereals stored in the United Kingdom are held by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the consequences in terms of possible toxicity or long-term chronic effects on the consumer, human or animal, and also for the food processing industry.
§ Mr. RyderI am able to reassure the hon. Member that "bound" residues in cereals can be detected and identified. The ADAS central science laboratory at Slough has already carried out some successful work and is continuing research in this area. The results of Government monitoring for pesticide residues are published. The latest report—Food Surveillance Paper No. 25—was published on 13 March this year. It includes results of a survey of freshwater eels; results of studies of marine fish are published separately by MAFF's directorate of fisheries research.
At 31 October 1988 (the latest date for which information is available) about 12 per cent. of United Kingdom cereal stocks were held in intervention. The published results of monitoring for pesticide residues have been considered by the advisory committee on pesticides and the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment who were satisfied that residues in cereals do not represent a hazard to consumers.