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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental and human impact of the continued UK manufacture for export of pesticides banned for use within the UK; and whether they will extend existing and future pesticide bans to the production, as well as the use, of such pesticides.

The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment. Pesticides pose risks if not used properly anywhere in the world.

Requirements for the export of hazardous chemicals are agreed at the international level under the Rotterdam Convention, recognising the environmental and human impacts of such exports.

The export of certain hazardous chemicals is regulated through the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, implementing the Convention. For certain pesticides, the UK goes beyond international requirements, whereby the explicit consent of the importing country is required under GB PIC before export can take place. This enables the importing country to make informed decisions about the import of those chemicals and how to handle them safely.