Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to check and certify the online selling of Chlorpyrifos.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Plant protection products (essentially agricultural and horticultural pesticides) may not be placed on the market or used unless they have been authorised. Authorisations include statutory conditions of use which must be followed to ensure that these products are used safely.
National pesticides legislation subjects internet sales of pesticides to all the same legal obligations as over-the-counter sales. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the UK pesticides regulator, follows up any concerns raised on internet sales with sellers where possible, to ensure internet sales comply with legal requirements. In order to support compliance with the law, the pesticides distribution sector has produced best practice guidance to raise awareness amongst distributors selling pesticides on the internet.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure bio-security and monitoring protocols are in place to ensure that quagga mussels can be quickly identified and eradicated.
Answered by George Eustice
The likelihood of the arrival of the quagga mussel had been identified by horizon scanning: the Environment Agency discovered its presence during routine monitoring. We are currently exploring options while undertaking further monitoring work to establish its distribution. A local Environment Agency Task Group and a National Freshwater Task Group (with representation from Defra and other GB Administrations) has been set-up to agree and coordinate action. We are working with water companies and continuing to promote positive biosecurity practices amongst recreational water users by asking them to apply the “Check, Clean, Dry” process launched by Defra in 2011, to prevent the entry or slow the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that quagga mussels do not spread from the Thames into the River Kennet and other tributaries.
Answered by George Eustice
The likelihood of the arrival of the quagga mussel had been identified by horizon scanning: the Environment Agency discovered its presence during routine monitoring. We are currently exploring options while undertaking further monitoring work to establish its distribution. A local Environment Agency Task Group and a National Freshwater Task Group (with representation from Defra and other GB Administrations) has been set-up to agree and coordinate action. We are working with water companies and continuing to promote positive biosecurity practices amongst recreational water users by asking them to apply the “Check, Clean, Dry” process launched by Defra in 2011, to prevent the entry or slow the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to eradicate quagga mussels in the Colne Valley.
Answered by George Eustice
The likelihood of the arrival of the quagga mussel had been identified by horizon scanning: the Environment Agency discovered its presence during routine monitoring. We are currently exploring options while undertaking further monitoring work to establish its distribution. A local Environment Agency Task Group and a National Freshwater Task Group (with representation from Defra and other GB Administrations) has been set-up to agree and coordinate action. We are working with water companies and continuing to promote positive biosecurity practices amongst recreational water users by asking them to apply the “Check, Clean, Dry” process launched by Defra in 2011, to prevent the entry or slow the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what basic measures his Department takes in relation to (a) controls on abstraction and (b) prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources in order to comply with Article 11.3 of the Water Framework Directive.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Controls on water abstraction are applied through the licensing system operated by the Environment Agency, which sets out prior authorisation and control of water abstractions and impoundments.
Measures to prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources include:
i. Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. These make it an offence to cause or knowingly permit a water discharge activity or groundwater activity, except under, and to the extent authorised by, an environmental permit. The Environment Agency regulates discharges under the environmental permitting regime. It can carry out works itself to rectify activities causing pollution, or issue anti-pollution works notices to require work to take place to prevent, remedy or prohibit pollution, as well as prosecuting offenders if pollution does take place;
ii. the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, which aim to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution and the risk of further such pollution occurring. The regulations implement the Nitrates Directive, and apply within designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (57% of England);
iii. the Water Resources (Control of Pollution)(Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil)(England) Regulations 2010, which set standards for storing silage, livestock slurry and agricultural fuel oil to minimise the risk of water pollution. These are applicable nationally; and
iv. cross-compliance requirements for those farmers claiming direct payments and those participating in various rural development schemes.