THE recent media reports that the USA, through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, has prevented the EU banning 31 dangerous pesticides is similar to the pharmaceutical industry refusing to publish data on its clinical trials of drug safety.

I have a letter from MAFF, now renamed Defra, dated 17.1.1989, which admits that all pesticides are active against some living organism and are therefore a danger to both human health and the environment, and that pesticides are passed as safe for sale by looking at the manufacturer safety data.

The pharmaceutical industry was fined billions in 2011 for fraudulent research to help sell more drugs and for playing down any sideeffects, and there have been countless reports over many years of bribes from the industry to the medical profession and of the industry ‘buying MPs who then let the industry write government policy’.

Answers to questions I had asked in parliament on 11.1.1989 listed nearly 200 prescribed drugs, many chemicals including pesticides and radiation, as known causes of aplastic anaemia and related conditions of the bone marrow which are known to be precursor conditions to and the same causes as cancers.

Some of the pesticides and drugs were named.

Many of the drugs and pesticides listed and passed as safe for sale have since been restricted in their use or banned after long campaign battles to have them banned.

In some cases I was involved with, compensation was won.

Living in France for over 20 years until 2012, I can say the the French government is more concerned for the safety of its citizens than the UK government in connection with the dangers of prescribed drugs.

EDWARD PRIESTLEY Fellow, The European Medical Association