Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to introduce a distinct regulatory pathway for the approval and use of biological control agents and biopesticides in crop protection to accelerate their uptake in place of harmful broad-spectrum chemical pesticides.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Improving access to low risk biopesticides for farmers, growers and other land managers is a priority for this Government – as set out in the UK Pesticides National Action Plan, published this year.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which regulates the approval, authorisation and use of biopesticides in the UK runs a biopesticide scheme to support companies seeking to market biopesticides in the UK. Support provided through the scheme includes dedicated HSE biopesticide champions, free pre-submission advice, and capped fees for biopesticide active substance approval.
In May this year the government set out its intention to establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) area with the EU, by way of an SPS Agreement. Pesticides regulations are in scope of the SPS agreement. As set out in the EU Vision for Agriculture and its recent SPS Omnibus Package Call for Evidence, the EU shares our aim to improve access to biopesticides. We welcome the EU’s review of regulatory barriers to innovation and, look forward to working collaboratively to deliver our shared aims.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to increase ring-fenced funding for translational research on biologicals and biopesticides to generate robust evidence on their efficacy.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is funding the Biopesticides Innovation Research Network (BIRCH) led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH).
This network will act as a focal point between researchers, industry, regulators and policy and will work to develop advice to support the registration and risk assessment of biopesticides. The network will engage with EU organisations and at the international level to share knowledge and encourage alignment between relevant groups and projects.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to ensure that Natural England accepts requests to meet members of Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As our main arm’s length body for nature in England and in line with its statutory purpose, Natural England is keen to keep Parliament and Parliamentarians up to speed with its operations. Natural England makes its wealth of science, evidence and experience of delivery available to Parliament in a number of ways including regular contributions to Parliamentary Select Committee inquiries and Parliamentary groups such as APPGs as well as individual meetings with MPs, Peers and Parliamentary staff where that is appropriate and adds value.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary Undersecretary for State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 March (HC Deb col 924), what plans they have to raise awareness and improve pet owners' education with regards to using fipronil and imidacloprid.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The cross-Government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group is convening a workshop in August 2025, focused on the environmental impact of pet parasiticides.
This event will bring together representatives from across the companion animal sector to share knowledge and expertise on this issue. The primary objective of the workshop is to collaboratively develop and agree on consistent messaging for pet owners regarding the appropriate use of topical parasiticides for cats and dogs. A key focus will be on how this messaging can be effectively disseminated across different settings - with the aim to minimise potential environmental impacts.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 27 March 2025 (HL5886), whether they will publish the roadmap to address levels of fipronil or imidacloprid in UK waterways.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The roadmap to address levels of fipronil or imidacloprid in UK waterways will be published imminently, subject to ministerial clearance and upon receipt of a grid slot.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to resume the chemical control of bracken to protect human health, biodiversity and the historic environment.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the challenge that bracken presents to land managers, particularly in upland regions. Mechanical control and chemical control using glyphosate can be useful tools in controlling bracken, though the government recognises their limitations. It is for individual land managers to decide how to control bracken within safe and legal means.
The Government encourages industry and other external partners to develop new tools that will help to address the challenge of managing bracken. Any herbicides not currently allowed for bracken control would require authorisation for that purpose by the Health and Safety Executive.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to restricting tick and flea treatments for pets containing fipronil or imidacloprid to prescription only, in the light of evidence of their human and environmental toxicity and their detrimental effects on aquatic life.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Parasiticides, such as those containing fipronil and imidacloprid, play an essential role in protecting both animal and human health against fleas and ticks and their associated vector-borne diseases, which can lead to parasitic disease in pets and present zoonotic risks to humans, as well as causing distress and discomfort. The concerns regarding the potential contribution of flea and tick treatments to the levels of imidacloprid currently being detected in UK surface waters are recognised. The Veterinary Medicine Directorate (VMD) is currently gathering evidence on this issue and has initiated the formation of a cross-governmental Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group.
The PiE Group has set out a roadmap of activities to address levels of fipronil and imidacloprid in UK waterways. The immediate priority is to collaborate with key stakeholders to enhance and promote consistent messaging to users on the appropriate use of topical parasiticides for cats and dogs, aiming to reduce potential environmental impacts. Beyond this, actions will focus on developing our evidence base through research and monitoring. The group will use this evidence to improve understanding of the issue and inform future policy activities in the longer term.
At this stage, there are no plans to restrict flea and tick treatments to prescription only. Any future regulatory decisions will be based on robust scientific evidence to ensure both environmental protection and continued access to essential veterinary medicines.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a timetable for implementing the provisions in the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Secretary of State has recently announced that the secondary legislation necessary to implement the Precision Breeding Act for plants in England will be laid by the end of March.
Defra is also considering the animal welfare framework outlined in the Precision Breeding Act.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of their commitment to introduce secondary legislation to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for a new trade deal with the European Union.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The European Commission has proposed to adopt a new, less restrictive, regulation for the marketing of plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) and their use for food and feed. An approach similar to that used in the Precision Breeding Act.
The proposal is still under consideration in the European Council and its contents are subject to change.
We will continue to monitor progress in the EU to understand implications for trade, including in the context of the Government's commitment to seek to negotiate a veterinary / Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 3 January (HL3645 and HL3646), what are their considerations on the impact of deer and grey squirrels on woodlands; whether they have consulted any stakeholders; and if so, who.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is responsible for woodlands in England, and we are considering how to go further to reduce the impacts of grey squirrels and deer on our woodlands. We recognise the pressure on new and existing woodlands from the increasing damage caused by over-foraging of young trees and woodland flora by wild deer and from squirrels stripping bark from trees. In England this damage is primarily from grey squirrels due to their prevalence. As part of routine policy development, the department regularly engages with a variety of stakeholders, including the UK Squirrel Accord and the Deer Initiative Partnership.