Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any proposals by the European Commission to ban an agricultural chemical are supported by full science-based risk analysis rather than the precautionary principle.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government agrees that decisions on the approval of pesticides should be based firmly on a scientific risk assessment. We take this position in EU negotiations on individual pesticide chemicals.
The European Commission is due to review the rules for pesticide approval. The Government will make the case for changes that ensure that the legislation protects people and the environment on the basis of scientific evidence, without placing unwarranted barriers in the way of pesticide approval.
The European Commission’s Communication on application of the precautionary principle makes it clear that decisions should be based on the best possible scientific risk assessment and should be proportionate to the risk to be addressed. The Government supports this approach. We would not agree with the use of the term “precautionary principle” as cover for advocating a regulatory approach which is not backed by the scientific evidence.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have invited tenders for the scoping study to obtain the evidence on which to base regulations on littering from vehicles as required by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014; and when they expect the study to be completed.
Answered by Lord De Mauley
Defra invited tenders for the scoping study on 10 December last year. The study is expected to be completed by the end of March this year.