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 she has had with local authorities on the potential environmental impact of their use of pesticides in public places.

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan, published last year, sets out actions we will take to increase awareness and knowledge of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies across all sectors.

Last year I chaired a roundtable on pest and weed management in urban settings to hear directly from representatives from local authorities and councils. This highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer learning, and Defra will continue to encourage local authorities to share knowledge that promotes best practice.

Defra funded an update to the Parks for London Integrated Weed Management guide.

This ensures that up to date guidance is now freely available to all amenity managers, including in local authorities, to help to promote the sustainable management of our public spaces.