Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she funds into possible links between pesticides commonly used in household sprays and childhood brain cancer; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleNone. The main body through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which is funded by the Office of Science and Technology.
We are not aware of any research into this issue in the United Kingdom. Before any pesticide is approved for use it must be approved by Ministers who will have consulted the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, a statutory body of independent experts.
The recently published study in America which is reported as suggesting an association between childhood brain cancer and pesticide usage will be considered by the Department's professional staff and if necessary the expert advisory committees.