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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the use of chlormequat in the United Kingdom (a) over the last five years and (b) at present. [103292] Ms Quin: Chlormequat is approved for use in the UK on various cereal and oilseed crops, beans, peas and ornamental plants. Data on pesticide usage in the UK are collected by the Pesticide Usage Survey Group (PUSG), within the Government's Central Science Laboratory. The PUSG's data for 1995 to 1998 show that around 98 per cent. of chlormequat use in the UK is on cereal crops. This is equivalent to approximately 2.7 million hectares treated per year. The detailed figures for cereals and the other crops on which use is approved are given in PUSG reports numbers 136, 141, 151-153 and 159, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Results for 1999 are still being gathered and processed. Government surveys of pesticide residues in food, conducted under the guidance of the Working Party on Pesticides Residues (WPPR), have suggested that there has been some unproved use of chlormequat on fruiting pear trees in the UK by a minority of growers. An enforcement programme has been put into place. Results from surveys in 1995, 1997 and 1998 can be found in the WPPR reports for those years. Results from the first six months of 1999 were published in November via a pesticides residues monitoring information sheet. A copy of this and the WPPR reports for 1995 to 1998 are available in the Libraries of the House.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

342 c503-4W;342 c501-2W; 103292

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Cereals Fruit Pesticides Research Pears Vegetables Chlormequat