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AYES
Alton, David
Ashdown, Paddy
Beith, A J
Bruce, Malcolm (Gordon)
Campbell, Menzies (Fife NE)
Canavan, Dennis
Carlile, Alex (Montgomery)
Chidgey, David
Dafis, Cynog
Davies, Chris (Littleborough)
Ewing, Mrs Margaret
Forsythe, Clifford (S Antrim)
Harvey, Nick
Hughes, Simon (Southwark)
Johnston, Sir Russell
Jones, Ieuan Wyn (Ynys Mon)
Jones, Nigel (Cheltenham)
Kennedy, Charles (Ross C & S)
Llwyd, Elfyn
Lynne, Ms Liz
McCrea, Rev William
Maclennan, Robert
Maddock, Mrs Diana
Marek, Dr John
Michie, Mrs Ray (Argyll Bute)
Molyneaux, Sir James
Nicholson, Miss Emma (W Devon)
Rendel, David
Robinson, Peter (Belfast E)
Salmond, Alex
Steel, Sir David
Taylor, John D (Strangf'd)
Taylor, Matthew (Truro)
Thurnham, Peter
Tyler, Paul
Wallace, James
Welsh, Andrew
Wigley, Dafydd
Tellers for the Ayes:
Mr. Archy Kirkwood and
Mr. Don Foster.
NOES
Ainsworth, Peter (E Surrey)
Aitken, Jonathan
Alexander, Richard
Alison, Michael (Selby)
Allason, Rupert (Torbay)
Amess, David
Ancram, Michael
Arbuthnot, James
Arnold, Jacques (Gravesham)
Ashby, David
Atkinson, David (Bour'mth E)
Atkinson, Peter (Hexham)
Baker, Kenneth (Mole V)
Baker, Nicholas (N Dorset)
Baldry, Tony
Banks, Matthew (Southport)
Banks, Robert (Harrogate)
Bates, Michael
Batiste, Spencer
Bellingham, Henry
Bendall, Vivian
Beresford, Sir Paul
Biffen, John
Body, Sir Richard
Bonsor, Sir Nicholas
Booth, Hartley
Boswell, Tim
Bottomley, Peter (Eltham)
Bottomley, Mrs Virginia
Bowden, Sir Andrew
Bowis, John
Boyson, Sir Rhodes
Brandreth, Gyles
Brazier, Julian
Bright, Sir Graham
Brooke, Peter
Brown, Michael (Brigg Cl'thorpes)
Browning, Mrs Angela
Bruce, Ian (S Dorset)
Budgen, Nicholas
Burns, Simon
Burt, Alistair
Butcher, John
Butler, Peter
Butterfill, John
Carlisle, John (Luton N)
Carlisle, Sir Kenneth (Linc'n)
Carrington, Matthew
Carttiss, Michael
Cash, William
Channon, Paul
Chapman, Sir Sydney
Churchill, Mr
Clappison, James
Clark, Dr Michael (Rochf'd)
Clarke, Kenneth (Rushcliffe)
Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey
Coe, Sebastian
Congdon, David
Conway, Derek
Coombs, Anthony (Wyre F)
Coombs, Simon (Swindon)
Cope, Sir John
Cormack, Sir Patrick
Couchman, James
Cran, James
Currie, Mrs Edwina
Curry, David
Davies, Quentin (Stamf'd)
Davis, David (Boothferry)
Day, Stephen
Devlin, Tim
Dicks, Terry
Dorrell, Stephen
Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James
Dover, Den
Duncan, Alan
Duncan Smith, Iain
Dunn, Bob
Durant, Sir Anthony
Dykes, Hugh
Eggar, Tim
Elletson, Harold
Emery, Sir Peter
Evans, David (Welwyn Hatf'ld)
Evans, Jonathan (Brecon)
Evans, Nigel (Ribble V)
Evans, Roger (Monmouth)
Evennett, David
Faber, David
Fabricant, Michael
Fenner, Dame Peggy
Field, Barry (Isle of Wight)
Fishburn, Dudley
Forman, Nigel
Forsyth, Michael (Stirling)
Forth, Eric
Fowler, Sir Norman
Fox, Dr Liam (Woodspring)
Fox, Sir Marcus (Shipley)
Freeman, Roger
French, Douglas
Fry, Sir Peter
Gale, Roger
Gallie, Phil
Gardiner, Sir George
Garel-Jones, Tristan
Garnier, Edward
Gill, Christopher
Gillan, Mrs Cheryl
Goodlad, Alastair
Goodson-Wickes, Dr Charles
Gorman, Mrs Teresa
Gorst, Sir John
Grant, Sir Anthony (SW Cambs)
Greenway, Harry (Ealing N)
Greenway, John (Ryedale)
Griffiths, Peter (Portsmouth N)
Grylls, Sir Michael
Gummer, John
Hague, William
Hamilton, Sir Archibald
Hamilton, Neil (Tatton)
Hampson, Dr Keith
Hanley, Jeremy
Hannam, Sir John
Hargreaves, Andrew
Harris, David
Haselhurst, Sir Alan
Hawkins, Nick
Hawksley, Warren
Heald, Oliver
Heath, Sir Edward
Heathcoat-Amory, David
Heseltine, Michael
Hicks, Sir Robert
Higgins, Sir Terence
Hill, Sir James (Southampton Test)
Hogg, Douglas (Grantham)
Horam, John
Hordern, Sir Peter
Howard, Michael
Howell, David (Guildf'd)
Howell, Sir Ralph (N Norfolk)
Hughes, Robert G (Harrow W)
Hunt, David (Wirral W)
Hunt, Sir John (Ravensb'ne)
Hunter, Andrew
Hurd, Douglas
Jack, Michael
Jackson, Robert (Wantage)
Jenkin, Bernard (Colchester N)
Jessel, Toby
Johnson Smith, Sir Geoffrey
Jones, Gwilym (Cardiff N)
Jones, Robert B (W Herts)
Kellett-Bowman, Dame Elaine
King, Tom
Kirkhope, Timothy
Knight, Mrs Angela (Erewash)
Knight, Greg (Derby N)
Knight, Dame Jill (Edgbaston)
Knox, Sir David
Kynoch, George
Lait, Mrs Jacqui
Lamont, Norman
Lang, Ian
Lawrence, Sir Ivan
Legg, Barry
Leigh, Edward
Lennox-Boyd, Sir Mark
Lester, Sir Jim (Broxtowe)
Lidington, David
Lilley, Peter
Lloyd, Sir Peter (Fareham)
Lord, Michael
Luff, Peter
Lyell, Sir Nicholas
MacGregor, John
MacKay, Andrew
Maclean, David
McLoughlin, Patrick
McNair-Wilson, Sir Patrick
Madel, Sir David
Maitland, Lady Olga
Major, John
Malone, Gerald
Mans, Keith
Marland, Paul
Marlow, Tony
Marshall, John (Hendon S)
Marshall, Sir Michael (Arundel)
Martin, David (Portsmouth S)
Mates, Michael
Mawhinney, Dr Brian
Merchant, Piers
Mills, Iain
Mitchell, Andrew (Gedling)
Mitchell, Sir David (NW Hants)
Moate, Sir Roger
Monro, Sir Hector
Montgomery, Sir Fergus
Needham, Richard
Nelson, Anthony
Neubert, Sir Michael
Newton, Tony
Nicholson, David (Taunton)
Norris, Steve
Onslow, Sir Cranley
Oppenheim, Phillip
Page, Richard
Paice, James
Patnick, Sir Irvine
Patten, John
Pawsey, James
Peacock, Mrs Elizabeth
Pickles, Eric
Porter, David (Waveney)
Portillo, Michael
Powell, William (Corby)
Rathbone, Tim
Redwood, John
Renton, Tim
Richards, Rod
Riddick, Graham
Robathan, Andrew
Roberts, Sir Wyn
Robertson, Raymond S (Ab'd'n S)
Robinson, Mark (Somerton)
Roe, Mrs Marion
Rowe, Andrew
Rumbold, Dame Angela
Sackville, Tom
Sainsbury, Sir Timothy
Scott, Sir Nicholas
Shaw, David (Dover)
Shaw, Sir Giles (Pudsey)
Shephard, Mrs Gillian
Shepherd, Sir Colin (Heref'd)
Shepherd, Richard (Aldridge)
Shersby, Sir Michael
Sims, Sir Roger
Skeet, Sir Trevor
Smith, Sir Dudley (Warwick)
Smith, Tim (Beaconsf'ld)
Soames, Nicholas
Speed, Sir Keith
Spencer, Sir Derek
Spicer, Sir Jim (W Dorset)
Spicer, Sir Michael (S Worcs)
Spring, Richard
Sproat, Iain
Squire, Robin (Hornchurch)
Stanley, Sir John
Steen, Anthony
Stephen, Michael
Stern, Michael
Streeter, Gary
Sumberg, David
Sweeney, Walter
Sykes, John
Tapsell, Sir Peter
Taylor, Ian (Esher)
Taylor, John M (Solihull)
Taylor, Sir Teddy
Temple-Morris, Peter
Thomason, Roy
Thompson, Sir Donald (Calder V)
Thompson, Patrick (Norwich N)
Townend, John (Bridlington)
Townsend, Cyril D (Bexl'yh'th)
Tracey, Richard
Tredinnick, David
Trend, Michael
Trotter, Neville
Twinn, Dr Ian
Vaughan, Sir Gerard
Waldegrave, William
Walden, George
Walker, Bill (N Tayside)
Waller, Gary
Ward, John
Wardle, Charles (Bexhill)
Waterson, Nigel
Watts, John
Wells, Bowen
Wheeler, Sir John
Whitney, Ray
Whittingdale, John
Widdecombe, Miss Ann
Wiggin, Sir Jerry
Wilkinson, John
Willetts, David
Wilshire, David
Winterton, Mrs Ann (Congleton)
Winterton, Nicholas (Macclesf'ld)
Wolfson, Mark
Wood, Timothy
Yeo, Tim
Young, Sir George
Tellers for the Noes:
Mr. Richard Ottaway and
Mr. Roger Knapman.
Question accordingly negatived.
Main Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.--[Mrs. Lait.]
Mr. Paul Tyler (North Cornwall):
I am delighted to note that a Minister from the Department of Health is to reply to the debate. That shows a recognition that there are wider implications for public health generally, rather than just for specific groups of occupations, from organophosphate compounds. I hope that during his preparation for his speech, the Minister managed to see tonight's BBC programme which revealed a close causal connection between OPs and chronic fatigue syndrome--what used to be called ME--as a result of the work of Professor Peter Behan.
The potential danger to human health of exposure to OPs was first identified 45 years ago by the Zuckerman committee. That is scarcely surprising, because these potentially lethal chemicals were originally developed by the Nazis as part of their nerve gas programme. Since then, increasing evidence of the damage to the individual's nervous system, together with some specific research studies, have led to ever more stringent official guidance on the use and misuse of OPs. Tonight's short debate offers an opportunity for the Government--all the Departments involved--to set out their current policies.
I first became concerned some six years ago, when I met a number of sheep farmers and farm workers from the south-west whose lives and livelihoods had been simply ruined by continuing ill health after dipping their sheep. Since they had been virtually forced to use OP dips, while the Government were still making that treatment for scab compulsory twice a year, the responsibility clearly lay with Whitehall.
On re-entering the House in 1992, I gathered together an informal all-party group to investigate the matter further, and we have maintained constant pressure on Ministers. I hope that there may be time this evening for one or two of my colleagues to contribute. I am glad to see here the hon. Members for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson), for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) and for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd), all of whom have been with me throughout the campaign and have met Ministers with me.
Because of those origins, the series of questions that I wish to put to the Minister must necessarily start with the agricultural and horticultural use of OPs. First, a number of farm workers have now succeeded in obtaining industrial injury benefit for serious ill health caused by exposure to OP sheep dips. Is it not unjust that self-employed farmers with similar symptoms cannot obtain similar compensation?
Secondly, the increasing level of precaution and recommended protective clothing for OP sheep dipping, advanced by the Health and Safety Executive in the past 10 years and more, makes it clear that the previous advice was simply inadequate. Do the Government now accept the responsibility for that former failure?
Thirdly, the HSE guidance note, Medical Series 17, entitled "Biological monitoring of workers exposed to organophosphorous pesticides", which was originally prepared in 1980, revised in 1986, and then revised again in 1987, lists a wide range of symptoms, from simple nausea to major effects on the nervous system. The
revised version I have with me warns of complications when a victim undergoes simple operations and is subject to a common anaesthetic. Why was that advice not made available to all sheep farmers, their general practitioners, their consultants and all others concerned, as soon as it was available?
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as follows:
To be presented by Privy Councillors or Members of Her Majesty's Household.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
10.28 pm
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