Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role the devolved assemblies will play in the UK’s new pesticide regulatory regime after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
Currently, the EU regulatory regime for plant protection products (pesticides) creates a consistent approach across the UK, but allows for the UK Government and devolved administrations to make some different choices on implementation. We have agreed with the devolved administrations to hold discussions on whether a consistent approach might be needed in future.
To allow space for those detailed discussions to continue, the EU (Withdrawal) Bill will replicate the current frameworks provided by EU rules in UK legislation, including the pesticides regime.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assess the costs of ill health caused by exposure to pesticides in the UK.
Answered by George Eustice
Pesticides are only authorised for use if a scientific risk assessment shows that they are not expected to have a harmful effect on human health. Individual risk assessments are reviewed at regular intervals, and the risk assessment process is kept up to date at EU and national level to ensure that it reflects new knowledge and the latest research. There are established monitoring schemes, such as that operated by the National Poisons Information Service, which are designed to pick up possible health effects. The results from these schemes indicate that the authorisation system is working as intended.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will include in its 25-year plan for the environment an objective to reduce the UK’s use of pesticides.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government will publish the 25 Year Environment Plan soon which will set out our plans to improve the environment, including action on pesticides.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to decide whether protected geographical indicators will continue after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is planning to use the EU (Withdrawal) Bill to transfer into domestic law the EU schemes that currently protect our geographical indications (GIs). This will ensure that UK GIs remain protected in the UK after we leave the EU. Defra officials are working closely with officials from other government departments, the devolved administrations, and the Crown Dependencies on this.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work his Department has undertaken in the last two months to protect protected geographical indications?
Answered by George Eustice
In the last two months my Department has provided support to a number of new applicants to the EU Geographical Indication schemes protecting spirits, wines and agricultural products, including 7 for potential new protected food names.
We continue to engage with and support the organisations which deliver scheme protection on the ground. This has ensured the products (including 84 from the UK) that are currently registered under these schemes are receiving appropriate protection within the UK.
During this period we have taken action to resolve the misuse of the protected food names of 3 UK and 6 EU products on sale in the UK. This has ensured consumers can have confidence that they are getting the product that they expect.
We are planning to use the EU (Withdrawal) Bill to transfer into domestic law the EU schemes that currently protect our geographical indications. This will ensure that UK geographical indications remain protected in the UK after we leave the EU. Defra officials are working closely with officials from other government departments, the Devolved Administrations, and the Crown Dependencies on this.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the value the 84 Protected Geographical Indicators add to the rural economy
Answered by George Eustice
Exports of products from the UK’s 84 geographical indications (GIs) are valued at approximately £5bn per year, and about £1billion in domestic sales. Much of the production takes place in rural, often remote, areas providing vital input to local economies. This includes, for example, Scotch whisky and Scottish farmed salmon which are the UK’s two largest GI exports by value, and Welsh lamb, as well as smaller-scale products like Stornoway Black Pudding and Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese.
GI protection acts in two ways to add value to rural economies. Firstly, it increases the value of the protected products. Academic studies suggest that UK consumers are prepared to pay between 7% and 20% more for GI products, though this varies considerably from product to product. Secondly, it protects sales volumes, particularly of exports, by preventing others from imitating the genuine article.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to authorise the use of the insecticide active ingredient, Sulfoxaflor; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of Sulfoxaflor on bees.
Answered by George Eustice
Insecticides are only permitted for use if scientific risk assessments find no harmful effect on people and no unacceptable effects on the environment. Assessment and decision-making for active substances takes place at EU level and sulfoxaflor was approved in 2015. Products containing approved active substances can only be used if authorised by the UK. No authorisation has been given to date for any product containing sulfoxaflor. The assessment of any application for such a product would include full consideration of the potential effects on bees.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many officials of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have the word trade in their job title.
Answered by George Eustice
We do not currently hold data that would enable us to provide you with a full response. Officials working in a range of areas and professions have the word trade in their job title.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the agricultural sector of the UK leaving the EU without agreeing a trade deal with the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. We are working towards securing the best possible deal for the UK agriculture industry.
The Government is in the process of carrying out a programme of rigorous and extensive analytical work on a range of scenarios on a sector by sector basis.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the fisheries sector of the UK leaving the EU without agreeing a trade deal with the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
We are in the process of carrying out a programme of rigorous and extensive analytical work on a range of scenarios for the fisheries sector. The Cabinet has agreed that all Departments need to prepare not just for a negotiated settlement, but also for the no deal scenario. We export fish worth £1 billion to the EU and we import fish worth £900 million from the EU.