Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of pesticide regulation by the (a) Health and Safety Executive and (b) Expert Committee on Pesticides.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has one of the most robust regulatory systems in the world. Pesticides are only authorised following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for these authorisations. They also undertake compliance and enforcement activities to ensure that where pesticides are used, they are used safely and in accordance with the law.
The role of the Expert Committee on Pesticides is to provide independent scientific advice, views and recommendations where required. The ECP publishes its annual report each year which summarises its work & it delivers expert advice as requested. The latest annual report to be published can be found here.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what further steps his Department plans to take to help tackle equine EHV1 infections.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government is aware of the outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in Europe and is working closely with the equine sector to ensure owners are aware of the risks and are taking the necessary precautions to keep their animals safe.
Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) is not notifiable and isolation of sick animals is the best protection against infection. There is no public health risk.
Horse owners are advised to contact their private vet if they observe any respiratory illness, abortion or neurological signs in horses or ponies in their care or would like to discuss options for vaccination against the disease.
All horses imported into the UK are required to be certified as being fit to travel and not to have originated from premises where disease is known to be present. Any horses imported into the UK should be placed in isolation for at least 10 days before allowing them to mix with other equines.
Comprehensive industry advice and guidance on biosecurity and vaccination is available online and the Animal and Plant Health Agency international trade team is, on behalf of Defra, writing to anyone wishing to import any equine from Europe to remind them of this guidance and strongly recommend that it is followed.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Scotch Whisky industry in advance of COP26.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra works closely with the Scotch Whisky Association who have recently launched a new Sustainability Strategy, with an aim to achieve Net Zero emissions in their operations by 2040. We welcome this industry-led initiative, which will help secure a sustainable future for Scotch whisky and make a significant contribution to tackling climate change, building a green future in line with the UK’s core themes at UNFCCC COP26 due to be held in Glasgow later this year.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Scotch Whisky industry’s role in supporting agriculture in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
No specific assessment has been made of the role of the Scotch whisky industry in supporting agriculture in the UK. The majority of the industry’s barley and wheat requirements are sourced in Scotland and the industry maintains a strong relationship with the cereals supply chain.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that wet markets do not reopen.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
‘Wet markets’ sell a range of fresh produce and can be found across the globe, including farmers markets and seafood markets in the UK. They are an important source of food and income for many people globally. The Government recognises that markets selling live animals and meat are a high risk environment for the transmission of zoonotic diseases if they are not subject to high standards of biosecurity and hygiene. We therefore agree with the World Health Organization that markets should close if these standards are not met.
The Government is fully committed to tackling the environmental drivers of pandemics, including by reversing global biodiversity loss, tackling unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade, and driving up standards in food production and food safety around the world. We will continue to support swift policy interventions where these are shown to be effective in mitigating future risk of zoonotic diseases and are underpinned by sound evidence.