To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which pilot training organisations in the United Kingdom train pilots for flying in connection with agricultural operations; and whether his Department recognises such qualifications from any United Kingdom training facilities.

I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that in the United Kingdom pilots are not trained specifically in agricultural operations by pilot training organisations. Such training, which is tailored to the needs of the individual pilot, is carried out by the firms who provide aerial agricultural services, under the supervision of the CAA.Before a pilot can carry out what are known as "aerial work" flights, such as crop spraying, he must hold a commercial pilot's licence granted by the CAA, and to use pesticides he must also hold a certificate of competence issued, in England and Wales, by the National Proficiency Test Council under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.