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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ban the manufacture of paraquat in the UK for export, given its impact on human health.

The Government currently has no plans to ban the manufacture of paraquat in the UK for export.

The export of paraquat from Great Britain (GB) is regulated under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Before the export of paraquat can take place, the explicit consent of the importing country is required.

The exchange of information that PIC provides allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely.

The UK is committed to working internationally to support the safe management of pesticides. That is why we continue to support the listing of paraquat under the Rotterdam convention.