The Advisory Committee on Pesticides provides independent advice to Ministers on matters relating to the regulation and use of pesticides, including applications for approval of new products and reviews of existing approvals. It usually meets in closed session (because of intellectual property and commercial secrecy considerations) approximately six times a year in York.
Please note: these minutes are published in draft until the following meeting of the ACP and are subject to amendment.
Those present:
Chairman: Prof J.G Ayres
Members: Mr J Clarke, Dr C Clutterbuck, Prof D Colman, Dr C Elcombe, Dr I Grieve, Prof G Hawksworth, Ms R Howell, Dr A Leake, Dr M McPherson, Dr D Osborne, Dr H Rees, Prof R Smith, Dr V Tohani, Dr R Waring
Apologies: Dr J Cherrie, Dr V Howard, Prof L Maltby, Ms D McCrea, Dr P McElhatton
Written comments received from: Dr J Cherrie, Dr L Maltby
Representatives from the following Departments and other organizations were present: The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA), Environment Agency (EA), English Nature (EN), Rothamsted Research (RRes), Health Protection Agency (HPA), Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
At its meeting on 09th May 2006, the Committee discussed the following issues:
1. Agenda Item 1: Minutes and Detailed record of discussion
1.1 318th Meeting: Minutes [ACP 1 (319/2006)]
1.1.1 Agreed as drafted.
1.2 318th Meeting: Detailed record of discussion [ACP 2 (319/2006)]
1.2.1 Agreed as drafted.
2. Agenda Item 2: Secretary's report [ACP 3 (319/2006)]
2.1 The Secretary to the Committee reported on the recommendations made at previous meetings. Members were made aware that new information had been received relating to Diquat. In light of this new information, the advice submitted to ministers would be qualified.
3. Matters arising [ACP 12 (319/2006)]
3.1 Members noted the progress on other matters arising.
3.2 In particular, Members agreed that this year's annual open meeting would look at uncertainty and dose response.
3.3 The Chairman confirmed that he has written to the Chair of the Pesticides Incident Appraisal Panel (PIAP) with some suggestions on future presentation of the data.
4. Alternatives to conventional pest control techniques in the UK [ACP 10 (319/2006)]
4.1 Members were updated on progress following the ACP report discussed at the open meeting 2003.
4.2 Members noted that all recommendations had been taken forward and had resulted in several approvals. Following on from the success of the pilot scheme, a bio-pesticides scheme has been set up to provide an initial point of contact and source of advice for companies submitting alternative applications.
5. Response to Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) from Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (CoC)/COT [ACP 5 (319/2006)]
5.1 The Committee considered the response from the CoC/COT to the RCEP report
5.2 Members expressed their thanks for this paper and noted the suggestions made.
6. Application for UK provisional approval (PPPR) for Cruiser SB containing thiamethoxam
6.1 Thiamethoxam is a new insecticide formulated as Cruiser SB, a flowable concentrate for seed treatment for use on sugar beet and fodder beet. A provisional approval had been requested in the UK pending a decision on inclusion of the active substance in Annex I of Directive 91/414/EEC, for which Spain is the Rapporteur Member State.
6.2 One member declared a specific non-personal interest.
6.3 Members concluded that provisional approval could be recommended subject to the submission of final data, the addition of a requirement for respiratory protective equipment when cleaning seed treatment equipment, and a post approval monitoring scheme.
7. HES analysis of pesticide poisoning
7.1 Members expressed their thanks for this report of follow up investigations of pesticide poisonings reported in the Health Episodes Statistics (HES).
7.2 Members noted that accidental poisonings from pesticides formed only a very small percentage of registered incidents. The HES analysis confirmed the pattern of poisonings resulting in hospital admission was in accordance with National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) data reviews.
7.3 Members suggested that this exercise might be repeated at intervals and if possible related to specific pesticides, and appropriate measures of pesticide usage or availability.
8. Food Standards Agency (FSA) Consultation [ACP 11 (319/2006)]
8.1 Members had been invited to consider this public consultation from the FSA.
8.2 Members offered advice regarding the presentation and accessibility of the document and offered to provide more detailed written comments by the close of the consultation period.
9. (Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE)) Consultation [ACP 8 (319/2006)
9.1 Members had been invited to consider this public consultation from ACRE.
9.2 Members discussed the draft response which had been complied by the Secretary and agreed to finalise this response by correspondence after the meeting.
10. Any Other Business
10.1 Correspondence from Ms G Downs
10.1.1 Ms Downs asked Members to considerer the possibility of members of the public observing routine closed ACP meetings.
10.1.2 Members noted that some but not all advisory committees allow observers to attend their meetings. Members concluded, however, that the activities of the ACP were best served at present by not allowing observers at routine meetings. The committee will revisit this issue in future to ensure that it is kept under review. Meanwhile, Members noted that they were supportive of government policy on openness including the publishing of minutes, the holding of an annual open meeting and seeking to publish the detailed record of their meetings along with other initiatives to improve transparency.
