asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider transferring responsibility for the safety of workers in the agriculture industry from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides to the Health and Safety Executive's advisory committee on toxic substances.
Responsibility for the health and safety of all workers, including those in the agriculture industry, already rests with the Health and Safety Executive under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Whilst both the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on toxic substances are regarded as prime sources of advice relating to the safe use of pesticides and other toxic substances respectively, neither committee has any responsibility for enforcement.