Oilseed Rape: Health Hazards

(asked on 1st June 2020) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what protections are provided by (a) the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and (b) other legislation to residents who have increased medical needs as a result of the planting of oil seed rape near their properties.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 10th June 2020

The issue of the impact of oilseed rape on health, specifically in relation to allergies, is kept under review by Defra. Based on the scientific evidence currently available, there would be no justification for regulating the planting and growing of oilseed rape. Defra is responsible for certain legislation that protects human health, including but not limited to air quality legislation and statutory nuisance provisions, however, these do not specifically contain protections from oilseed rape.

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