PESTICIDE USAGE: TRAINING AND MONITORING

HL Deb 18 March 1993 vol 543 cc93-4WA

Lord Ashley of Stoke

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they support organised training in the use of pesticides, and who provides it; whether there is any compulsion to report accidental misuse; and whether there is any Government monitoring of pesticide use.

Earl Howe

The Government encourage organised training in the use of pesticides. At the request of the department, the Agricultural Training Board publishes a list of recognised centres, such as agricultural colleges, which carry out training in the use of agricultural pesticides. The Health and Safety Commission has published recommendations on the training required for uses of non-agricultural pesticides. There is no legal requirement to report the accidental misuse of pesticides. However, the Health and Safety Executive plan to publish a free leaflet this summer to encourage the reporting of incidents involving pesticides or veterinary medicines. Comprehensive surveys of pesticides usage are undertaken by the pesticide usage survey group and by equivalent groups in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Results of the surveys are published.