§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action his Department is taking to prevent organophosphate poisoning among those involved in sheep dipping. [28452]
§ Mr. AncramThe controls in Northern Ireland on the sale and supply of organophosphorous sheep dip products are similar to those in Great Britain. From 1 April 1995, such products can be sold only to people holding a certificate of competence in the safe use of sheep dips or the representatives of those people. A one-day training course on the use of sheep dips is available at the Department's agricultural colleges free of charge to farmers. The Department of Agriculture has written to sheep farms providing information about the certificate of competence scheme and has issued a leaflet on the Health and Safety aspects of using organophosphorous sheep dip products.