§ Mr Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will bring up to date the information in his answer of 14 May 1986,Official Report, column 482, concerning the common agricultural policy; and if he will add for each year the conversion rate for sterling in terms of the unit of account and of the market rate for the European currency unit.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe information requested is set out in the following table:
staff shortages and lack of data, he will increase the resources available for this work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RyderThe scientific complement of the pesticides data evaluation unit involved in the evaluation and review 745W of agricultural pesticides has been increased from 52 at the end of the 1988–89 financial year, to 60. Staffing levels will be kept under review.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the evidence the advisory committee on pesticides considered in deciding about the use of Alar; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RyderI assume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the evidence considered by the Advisory Committee at its meeting on 20 April 1989. For this meeting the committee received over 30 reports on daminozide and its breakdown product, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), reporting studies on mammalian metabolism, residues in apples,in vitro mutagenicity, subacute toxicity in rats and mice and carcinogenicity in rats and mice.