Thatcher links with 2,4,5-T draw criticism

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 9

Thatcher links with 2,4,5-T draw criticism

NZPA London! The British Prime Minister; (Mrs Margaret Thatcher) will face questioning this week about her husband's;: [involvement with a company; selling a weedkiller contain-.'! ing the controversial chem-i deal. 2,4.5-T. h ! Mr Denis Thatcher has] ;been chairman of the Sussex 1 ' !company. Chipman. Ltd. for ] 123 years, and. according tothe managing director. Mr; Roy Jennings, takes a “very keen interest." 1 The 2.4,5- f is in Chipman Brushwood Killer, used for scrub clearing, and which , has been sold by the com- ] pany for 20 years. A Labour backbencher. Mr., .Dennis Canavan, said hen would question Mrs. That-; Icher in the House of Com-] jmons about her husband's! (involvement. !■ i “It is a cause for public] concern that the Prime Min-| ister's husband may be mak-i ing money out of selling]: such a potentially dangerous] substance.” he said. b i The 2.4.5-T herbicide has 'been banned in the United] !Stales and in Scandinavian; countries because it hash .been linked with mis- < 'carriages and birth defor-] : mi ties. Moves are beingli [made in the European Par-li diament to have it outlawed ' in the nine Common Market 'countries. Although the British Gov-] eminent has twice declared] it safe, trade unions are op-; iposed to its use and workers] ■'in agriculture, and forestry'

i have oeen told not to handle] :it. The all-embracing Trade,' Unions Congress will meet’ today to consider a recommendation that it seek su<;pension of the use of 2.4.5-T until a new study by the Ministry of Agriculture is completed. American soldiers exposed: to Agent Orange, a mixture' of 2.4.5-T and ano.ther weedkiller. which was used as a defoliant in Vietnam, claim that it caused them to develop cancer and other diseases and to father deformed children. The "Ob'erver” newspaper has said the weedkiller sold by Chipntitn and mimr British companies differ.-- from Agent Orange because its dioxin level is far lower. Hie dioxin, tunned as an impur-J ity during manufacture of] The weedkiller, is the same] isubstance released in the; Seveso disaster in Italy ini 1976. I Since 1970. under a' scheme agreed with the Brit-j ] ish Agrochemical Associ-] lation. the Government has; istrictly limited the amount lof dioxin to one ten-mil-llionth of the weedkiller’s! jeontent. The 2,4.5-T in Agent; lOrange, the B.A.A. said, con-, Itained up to 450 times asimuch of the chemical and. could not be compared with what is in use in Britain. The Government s'avs the 2,4,5-T sold in Britain is safe ias long as i: is used properily. although the British ] Ecology party says it has. Ibeen linked with mis-‘ ■carriages in'Britain.