Catalogue description Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Infestation Control Divisions: Registered Files, Infestation (I Series)

In 1970 a Pest Infestation Control Lab was set up within a new Safety, Pesticides & Infestation Control Division by amalgamating the previous Field Research Station at Worplesdon and the Agricultural Research Council's Pest Infestation Laboratory. The responsibilities of the division included the administration of statutory controls, the distribution of grants, for the destruction of farm pests, the provision of advice on pest control and research into infestation of all kinds; it also administered the Safety Inspectorate. In 1974 the Environmental Pollution, Pesticides and Infestation Control Division was created, the safety aspects of the old division having passed to a new Agricultural Safety, Training and Wages Division. This arrangement lasted until 1984 when a separate Environmental Co-ordination Unit was established, and a new Pesticides and Infestation Control Division was created. In 1988 this was renamed the Pesticides Safety Division, though it still retained responsibility for both control of pesticides and crop protection. In 1993 the division was established as an executive agency of the Ministry, the Pesticides Safety Directorate.