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 potential impact of changes to the maximum residue level of 49 pesticide residues between 2022 and 2024 on levels of pesticide residues on food; and what steps his Department is taking to protect the (a) food supply and (b) environment from harmful pesticides.

The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. We will continue to base decisions on the use of pesticides on careful scientific assessment of the risks. This provides a high level of protection for people and the environment.

The GB pesticide Maximum Residue Level (MRL) regime sets high standards of consumer protection to ensure no harmful effects on human health. GB MRLs are set below, and usually well below, the level considered to be safe for people to eat.

The MRLs apply to both food produced domestically and that imported from other countries. Our ongoing monitoring programme provides assurance that food complies with the rules and is safe to eat. It is led by the Health and Safety Executive with advice from the Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food.