Pesticides (Hansard, 10 November 2003)

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pesticides are approved for use in the UK; and how many have(a) full approval and (b) provisional approval. [137262]

§ Alun Michael
A total of 4,096 pesticides are approved for use in the UK. Of these, 2,783 hold full approval and 1,313 are provisionally approved.

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment the Pesticides Safety Directorate has made of the safety of the use of pesticides in school grounds and playing fields. [137263]

§ Alun Michael
The assessment of the safety of the use of pesticides in school grounds and playing fields is covered by the specific assessments carried out by the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) when evaluating risks to human health prior to any decision to grant approval for the marketing and use of a pesticide.
There are an extensive range of legislative and administrative controls over the approval, storage, marketing and use of pesticides. Applicants for pesticide approvals must show that their products are effective, humane, and pose no unacceptable risks to human beings, non-target species, or the wider environment before approval will be granted. All pesticide manufacturers are required to provide a wide range of scientific data that are evaluated by scientific experts in the PSD or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). These evaluations are then scrutinised by the independent experts of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), who make recommendations to Ministers. Only when the Ministers responsible for pesticides, are satisfied on the basis of this expert advice that a pesticide can be used without unacceptable risk to people, animals, and the environment, will approval be given to put it on the market.
As part of the risk assessment process, the exposure of bystanders and persons re-entering the treated area is considered. Specific estimates of potential dermal and inhalation exposure are made and the risk assessed directly.
9W

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the pesticides in use in the United Kingdom which have only provisional approval have had this status for(a) one to three years, (b) three to five years and (c) more than five years; and if she will make a statement. [137264]

§ Alun Michael
As at 5 November 2003, of the pesticides currently holding provisional approval status in the UK.

(a) 450 have been provisionally approved for periods of one to three years;

(b) 308 have been provisionally approved for periods of three to five years;

(c) 344 have been provisionally approved for more than five years.

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the amounts of pesticides used in grain stores in the United Kingdom. [137266]

§ Alun Michael
Assessments of the amounts of pesticides used in grain stores are carried out every four years, as a part of the Government's regular programme of surveys of pesticide use.
The most recent published results relate to grain harvested in 1998 and stored in the 1998–99 season. In total 13.31 tonnes of pesticides were used to treat the fabric of buildings, and 10.95 tonnes were used to treat stored grain.
The survey has been repeated for grain harvested in 2002 and stored in the 2002–03 season. Data from this survey are currently being assessed and it is expected that the results will be published early in 2004.

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures her Department has for monitoring the use of pesticides in food produce entering the United Kingdom. [137268]

§ Alun Michael
Pesticide residues in both imported and domestically-produced food are controlled through UK Regulations, which lay down Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticide/commodity combinations covering the components of the UK diet.
The Government's monitoring programme for pesticide residues in both home produced and imported food is overseen by the independent Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC), Some 4,105 food samples were analysed in 2002 for a wide range of pesticides with the result that the number of individual pesticide/commodity combinations analysed was in excess of 180,000. The proportion of imports in each survey varies depending on the balance of imports and domestic produce on the market. Overall in 2002, 52 per cent. of the samples tested were imports.
All the monitoring results are published on a website: www.pesticides.gov.uk/committees/PRC/prc. htm

§ Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU countries impose a pesticide tax; and at what levels. [137286]
10W

§ Alun Michael
We are aware of pesticide taxes in Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway and Sweden. To the best of our knowledge, the current tax rates applied are:
Belgium:
Two hundred and forty eight euros per kg of active ingredient for non-agricultural uses of pesticides containing atrazine, diuron, isoproturon, simazine and pentachlorophenol.
Denmark:
Tax levied as a percentage of retail price excluding VAT. Insecticides attract a 54 per cent. tax, herbicides 33 per cent. and non-agricultural pesticides 3 per cent.
France:
Seven tax bands for different active ingredients. Tax rate ranges from zero to about €1.68 euros per kg.
Norway:
Basic rate is NOK 15 per treated hectare multiplied by a banding factor of 0.5, 1,4 or 8.
Sweden:
SEK 20 per kg of active ingredient.