§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to ban the use of Lindane. [34785]
§ Mr. RookerLindane has been used widely as a pesticide and in human and veterinary medicines for many years. In 1995, the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) reviewed a very substantial body of evidence on the toxicology of lindane in the course of a review of its agricultural uses; the Committee concluded that approvals should continue, as there was no evidence of an unacceptable risk to human health. The ACP also reviewed lindane's non-agricultural uses in 1992 when the same conclusions were reached.
659WWhilst the balance of our scientific advice is that insufficient evidence has been presented to justify immediate withdrawal of lindane, the Government are always ready to consider new findings. Lindane is currently the subject of a review under Community pesticides legislation and is also under discussion in the context of international negotiations on the long range transport of certain chemicals in the atmosphere. A pesticide can, of course, be withdrawn at any time, and I can assure the hon. Member that the Government would not hesitate to act if there was a real risk to human health or the environment.