§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 April 1998,Official Report, columns 233–34, on organo-phosphates, if he will list the organisations which received funding in the past five years and indicate which studies were co-funded by (a) education institutions, (b) charitable institutions and (c) private sector companies. [41388]
§ Mr. RookerDetails of the research and development of direct relevance to organophosphorus compounds and funded by the Government are given in the table. The price bands are as follows
273WBand A: £500,00 or moreBand B: £300,000–£499,999Band C: £100,000–£299,999Band D: £50,000–£99,999Band E: up to £50,000.274W275W
Funding body Research body Title Start date End date Price band HSE Health and Safety Laboratories Neuropsychological study of orchard workers exposed to OP pesticides September 1996 September 1998 C HSE Internal Feasibility of using the National Proficiency Tests Council's database of holders of Certificates of Competence for Agricultural Pesticides for related epidemiology — June 1998 0 HSE Health and Safety Laboratories Non-cholinergic effects of OP exposure October 1995 August 1997 C HSE Health and Safety Laboratories Chlorphyrifos volunteer study July 1995 December 1996 D HSE Health and Safety Laboratories Handling of sheep dip concentrates July 1997 November 1998 E HSE Health and Safety Laboratories Changes over time in the level of inhibition of red blood cell acetylcholinesterase activity after OP exposure October 1996 July 1997 E HSE Health and Safety Laboratories Immunochemical method for monitoring the specific activity of plasma cholinesterase June 1997 December 1997 E HSE Health and Safety Laboratories An in-vitro investigation of the relative inhibitory effects of OPs and carbamates towards pseudocholinesterase in human blood August 1997 February 1998 E DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for azinphos-methyl in water 1987 January 1991 1— DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for fenitrothion in water 1987 January 1991 1— DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for dichlorvos in water 1987 February 1991 1— DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for malathion in water 1987 February 1991 1— DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for dimethoate and omethoate in water 1991 February 1994 1— DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for triazophos in water 1991 December 1994 1— DETR Water Research Centre Proposed Environmental Quality Standards for demetons in water 1991 September 1995 1— MOD/DERA University of Birmingham The effects of anticholinesterases on the cellular mechanisms controlling the levels of acetylcholinesterase May 1997 May 1999 C MOD/DERA University of Birmingharr Neuropathology of anticholinesterases October 1997 September 1998 E 1 Proposed EQSs prepared as part of a larger project, price band B.
§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports his Department has received of adverse effects from using organophosphate pesticides in each of the last three years. [41382]
§ Mr. RookerIn the three years to March 1998, the Pesticides Safety Directorate has considered three cases of alleged adverse effects relating to use of organophosphate pesticides. In the case of Phorate, data indicating that residues in carrots could erode safety margins led to the suspension of approval for use of Phorate products on carrots and parsnips. Of the other two cases, one related to a small increase in the amount of impurity present in a product after storage, and the other to alleged crop damage. Neither of these resulted in regulatory action.
In addition, in the three years to March 1997, a total of 36 incidents of alleged ill health (involving 78 people) have been assessed by the Pesticides Incidents Appraisal Panel of the Health and Safety Executive where at least one of the active ingredients used was classed as an organophosphate. For 16 of these (involving 46 people), the ill health was assessed as confirmed or likely to be linked to pesticide exposure. The panel assesses cases that have been brought to its attention following investigation by the Health and Safety Executive or a Local Authority.