Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department has undertaken on the effect of pet parasitical treatments on the (a) land-based and (b) water-based natural environment; and if he will make a statement.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has commissioned a research project, with the University of Sussex, to investigate the potential direct and indirect environmental exposure pathways for cat and dog parasiticide products to assess the significance of veterinary use on levels of neonicotinoids (e.g. imidacloprid) and other parasiticides (e.g. fipronil) in the aquatic environment. No results are available yet from the project.

The VMD has not commissioned any research on the potential effect of pet parasitical treatments on the land-based natural environment as the priority is to assess the impact on the aquatic environment.