Advisory Committee on Pesticides Annual Report 2001

<strong>Advisory</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> on Pesticides Annual Report 2001
measurement of wind speed. One case illustrated the continuing issue of
‘parallel imports’ where non-approved products had been imported into the UK.
During 2000–2001, 170 incidents had been investigated and this represented
a 33 percent fall compared with the previous year. There was, however, no
discernible long-term trend. Seventy-one allegations of ill health had been
made and these ranged from reports of general ill health to specific symptoms
presented to GPs. There had been a 14 percent reduction in allegations of ill
health compared with the previous year and this was the lowest number of
reports for ten years. Decisions in a number of cases were pending and many
of these resulted from the previous year’s investigation of incidents on the Isle
of Wight. The <strong>Committee</strong> noted that the Chair of PIAP wrote to individual
complainants to explain the panel’s decision in relation to their cases.
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The frequency of incidents not associated with alleged ill health had also
fallen in the last year. There had been no significant change in the incidence
of complaints classified according to sector of use, work activity or method
of application. As in previous years, most complaints were associated with
agricultural use and the majority of these with the use of conventional crop
boom sprayers. The <strong>Committee</strong> noted an increasing number of complaints
related to the use of knapsacks, particularly from users concerned about
leakage during use.
Over the last year, there had been 12 prosecutions in connection with
pesticides, most of these cases being heard in magistrates’ courts. Average
fines were in the order of £1000. Ninety-eight enforcement notices had been
issued, representing a reduction of approximately one-third compared with
the previous year. The effect of the foot and mouth disease outbreak was
considered to be marginal since it had affected only the last five weeks of
the reporting year.
As in previous years, the <strong>Committee</strong> commented on the usefulness of the
report and asked that HSE endeavour to include information on the type
of boom sprayers involved in incidents, since a variety were available.
Proposed representations procedure
At present there is no mechanism in the pesticide approval system allowing
companies to make formal representation with respect to recommendations
to Ministers made by the regulatory authorities directly or via the ACP. In
September 2001, the <strong>Committee</strong> was invited to consider the content of a
proposed consultation paper outlining proposals for a non-statutory
mechanism for representations. This would apply to new active substances