Jessica Morden MP for Newport East secured a debate in the House of Commons on the role of organophosphate sheep dip in organophosphate poisoning and other long term conditions. Ms Morden talked about her constituent, Stephen Forward:

Stephen started to get flu-like symptoms which got progressively worse, eventually leading to chronic fatigue syndrome and physical problems which meant he could no longer work on the farm.

A number of MPs gave examples of constituents suffering from OP poisoning and Jessica Morden MP requested an inquiry and an apology from the government:

We want a full inquiry, independent of DEFRA, to allow us to question why farmers might have been compelled to use this chemical with no guidance if governmental research pointed to health impacts. Was compulsory dipping stopped because MAFF knew it was affecting farm workers’ and farmers’ health? If so, why did it not say so? We need an answer to that question in particular.

We also need to examine what happened to the blood test results from the national poisons unit and disclosure of those that still exist.

George Eustace MP, the Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responded:

The independent Committee on Toxicity released a statement on organophosphates in March last year, following its earlier report in 1999. The COT reviewed the science published since the original 1999 report and in summary concluded that the reviewed evidence suggests that exposures to cholinesterase-inhibiting organophosphates that are insufficient to cause overt acute poisoning do not cause important long-term neurological toxicity in adults and that, if toxic effects on the nervous system do occur, they are minor and subtle.

Transcript of full debate: Organophosphate Sheep Dip debate in Westminster Hall at 4:00 pm on 10th June 2015