§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent EC proposals on the use of Lindane in agriculture and horticulture. [78527]
§ Mr. RookerThe EU has established a programme to review the safety of all pesticides which were authorised (by at least one Member State) for use in agriculture and horticulture on 25 July 1993. Lindane is included in the first round of this programme.
The EU review process begins with an evaluation by a "rapporteur" Member State. This evaluation is subject to peer review by experts from all Member States and consultation with the EU Commission's Scientific Committee on Plants before a decision is put to the Standing Committee on Plant Health and finally adopted by the Commission. In March 1995, Austria was appointed rapporteur for lindane and finally delivered its assessment to the Commission last December. The peer review process has just begun. In the normal course of events, there would not be a decision until well into 2000.
We have carried out a preliminary assessment of the Austrian evaluation and the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides will consider it at its next meeting. We shall be guided by the Committee's advice.
It is our policy to approve only those pesticides for which it is established scientifically that there is a level of exposure at which no adverse effect occurs and that any exposure arising from the approved use would be well 409W below this level. If this new review indicates that lindane no longer meets this rigorous standard we will take prompt and appropriate action.