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Organophosphates: COT Report
Lord Lipsey asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the report by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on the human health implications of organophosphates will be published. [HL104]
Baroness Hayman: The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) published its report on organophosphates (OPs) on 26 November 1999.
The Government welcome this thorough and timely report. We have always made clear that we take very seriously the concerns expressed about the safety of organophosphate compounds. In response to those concerns, we pledged that we would subject the scientific evidence to the most rigorous and transparent scrutiny. This was why we asked the Committee on Toxicity (COT) to undertake this in-depth review.
As announced when the review was set up, the Veterinary Products Committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Committee on Safety of Medicines have been asked to give their advice on the implications of the COT report to Ministers. We will publish this advice and our response to it as soon as possible.
Copies of the COT report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Forestry Commission: Expenditure Limit
Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proposals they have to amend the Forestry Commission's Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999-2000. [HL83]
Baroness Hayman: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class X, Vote 3 (Forestry Commission) the Forestry Commission's Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999-2000 will be increased by £7,500,000 from £68,615,000 to £76,115,000. The increase is the net effect of the fall in receipts from sales of timber, offset by savings in expenditure.
The increase will be a charge on the Departmental Expenditure Limit Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
France: UK Beef Imports Ban
Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they have made on lifting the French ban on United Kingdom beef imports. [HL84]
- Baroness Hayman: Discussions between the European Commission, the UK and France have resulted in a document which will allow the French Government to review its decision not to lift the ban on UK beef. This document has been referred to France's food safety advisory body, the AFSSA, by the French Government.
We have placed copies of the document in the Libraries of the House.
Fisheries Council, 22 November
Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 22 November.[HL85]
Baroness Hayman: The Fisheries Council met in Brussels on 22 November. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Secretary (Mr Morley) led the UK delegation, accompanied by John Home Robertson, Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs in the Scottish Executive.
The Council agreed a regulation for financial aid to fisheries under the reformed EU Structural Funds, which provides for seven-year funding programmes and sets conditions for payments. Grants for renewal and modernisation of the fleet may be paid only if the member state has met its overall fleet capacity (MAGP IV) limits. Where the relevant segment of the fleet exceeds its capacity target, the member state must withdraw 30 per cent more vessel capacity than is grant aided. While these new controls are not as rigorous as we would have wished, they are a welcome innovation, establishing the important principle that grant aid should contribute towards improving the balance between fish resources and the capacity of member states' fleets. There will be a review in 2001, providing an opportunity to make any changes necessary as a result of decisions at the expiry of MAGP IV.
The Council reached a political agreement on a reform of the fisheries marketing regime subject to the opinion of the European Parliament. The new regulation will provide lower tariffs for imports of fish which are important for our processing industry, while recognising the need to protect the interests of our catching industry in the import terms for sensitive species such as herring and cod and more generally by including provision to deal with serious market disturbance. After a transitional period it will reduce the costs of the regime.
The Council received a presentation on a draft Regulation to establish a Community framework for the collection and management of data needed to conduct the Common Fisheries Policy. This will return to the Council after detailed examination. The Commission reported that on 20 December there would be a meeting with the Moroccan Minister of Fisheries to take forward the EU:Morocco negotiations. There was an initial discussion of means of implementation of the new control arrangements adopted by the North East Atlantic Fisheries
Commission; arrangements for 2000 will be considered at the next meeting of the Council on 16 and 17 December.Glufosinate Ammonium
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In respect of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and its use on genetically modified crops:
(a) how many full approvals they have given and refused under Regulation 5(2)(c) of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986; and
(b) what were the dates of each such approval and the companies to which they were granted.[HL42]
Baroness Hayman: No applications for the full approval for the use of glufosinate ammonium on genetically modified crops have been received.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Hayman: We have received no applications for the full approval for the use of glufosinate ammonium on genetically modified crops.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Hayman: The commercial use of the great majority of agricultural pesticides, including those pesticide products on sale containing glufosinate ammonium, are regulated under national rules (the Control of Pesticide Regulation 1986, amended). However, all experimental approvals are considered under the Plant Protection Products Regulations 1995 (also amended), which implement the EC regime for agricultural pesticides.
The UK's national system and the EC one provide similar levels of protection of people and the environment.
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health attended the Health Council on 18 November in Brussels on behalf of the United Kingdom.
The new Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, David Byrne, presented the Commission's fourth report on health protection in other Community policies and his ideas on the future Community public health strategy. This information was welcomed by Ministers, and a Council Resolution on health protection in other Community policies was then adopted. The Commissioner reported on the adoption by the Commission of a proposed directive on the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products, which includes changes to the labelling and tar content of tobacco products. Commission reports on progress achieved in relation to public health protection from the harmful effects of tobacco and on developments on the negotiations taking place on the World Health Organisation's tobacco framework convention were presented. Following an open debate on the general policy of reduction of tobacco consumption, Council Conclusions were adopted on combating tobacco consumption. A Council Resolution was adopted on mental health promotion and progress was noted on a Resolution on antibiotic resistance to be adopted by the Agriculture Council in December. The Presidency reported on health issues beyond the present European Union borders, including: health in the applicant countries; health questions related to the Northern Dimension and the common strategy on Russia; and the Euro-Mediterranean conference of Health Ministers to be held in December. The Council noted that Conclusions had been adopted at a previous Council on the importance of co-operation with the applicant countries in the sphere of public health. The Commission reported on its plans for a new exchange of letters with WHO to encourage effective working relations. Commissioner Byrne reported on his wide ranging plans to transform the Community's approach to food safety, including plans to establish a European food agency. The Council took note of progress reports on two pharmaceutical directives covering clinical trials and medical devices. Under any other business, the Netherlands raised its concerns about the impact on domestic health care systems of recent European Court of Justice cases about access to health benefits in other countries.
In respect of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and its use on genetically modified crops:
(a) how many applications have been made for full approval under Regulation 5(2)(c) of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 but have not yet been granted;
(b) what were the dates of each such application and the companies applying;
(c) what public participation they will allow before a decision is made upon each such application;
(d) what information they will make publicly available; and
(e) when they expect to make a decision on each such application.[HL43]
Whether they will specify, in respect of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium and its use on genetically modified crops, the extent to which, if any, they consider the Plant Protection Products Regulations 1995 to apply to their consideration of any applications for such use.[HL45]
What was the outcome of the Health Council held in Brussels on 18 November. [HL103]
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