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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to increase ring-fenced funding for translational research on biologicals and biopesticides to generate robust evidence on their efficacy.

Defra is funding the Biopesticides Innovation Research Network (BIRCH) led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH).

This network will act as a focal point between researchers, industry, regulators and policy and will work to develop advice to support the registration and risk assessment of biopesticides. The network will engage with EU organisations and at the international level to share knowledge and encourage alignment between relevant groups and projects.