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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to reform the procedures for risk assessments of biopesticides prior to their approval for release onto the commercial market.

The term “biopesticide” covers a diverse group of substances with very different modes of action. They often, but not always, have a lower risk profile than conventional pesticides and we recognise that they can play an important role as part of an integrated pest management approach. We plan to review regulatory processes and data requirements to identify where approvals and permissions for biopesticides can be made simpler and speedier. This should reduce regulatory burdens on applicants and lead to quicker approval timelines, without compromising environmental and human health standards.