Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

There are a range of measures other than pesticides that can help control aphids, which transmit plan viruses to sugar beet. These include early sowing; good hygiene to remove aphid sources; integrated pest management measures such as companion cropping, use of attractants and repellents; and virus-resistant crop varieties. Previous assessments indicated that these measures had not yet reached the point at which they could replace the need for all pesticides.

All pesticide use in the UK is subject to the Health and Safety Executive’s overarching programme of enforcement and compliance. This includes extensive monitoring and intelligence-led enforcement activities to ensure that the supply and use of pesticides complies with legal requirements.

All UK sugar beet is grown under commercial contracting arrangements which provide a basis for the stewardship programme which has been part of the conditions attached to emergency authorisations for the thiamethoxam product Cruiser SB use granted in the past. As part of this stewardship programme, all growers are advised of the requirements for use of seeds treated with Cruiser SB.

Farmers are free to decide whether they wish to grow sugar beet in a given year. Those farmers who opted to grow sugar beet with Cruiser SB when emergency authorisations have been granted in the past will have considered how to accommodate the restrictions on succeeding crops in their crop rotation plans. The restrictions were considered to be consistent with typical arable crop rotation patterns.

This Government has been clear that we will change existing policies to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten bees and other vital pollinators. Decisions on emergency authorisation applications must be taken in line with legal requirements. In making these decisions, Ministers will take full account of the available evidence and expert advice.