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

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides; and whether those proposals will feed into the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

The United Kingdom upholds strict food safety, health and environmental standards, and our first priority regarding pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. HM Government has an excellent record on the environment enshrined in law in our landmark Environment Act. We are working to publish an updated National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.

The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill will enable HM Government, via Parliament, to adopt a home-grown regulatory approach and will make sure that HM Government can amend, repeal or replace retained EU law with domestic legislation which better suits the United Kingdom. Departments, including DEFRA, are already reviewing their Retained EU Law (REUL), and considering whether any changes are required in order to continue delivering their policy objectives. If changes are needed, departments will be able to use legislative powers, including those within the REUL Bill, to do so ahead of the sunset date.