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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact the EU’s bans on certain pesticides and fungicides taking effect and the UK’s planned alignment in June 2027 on British farmers.

The Government has agreed with the EU to establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) area, by way of an SPS Agreement. Plant protection products like pesticides and fungicides are in scope of that Agreement. Defra’s assessment of the potential impact is ongoing and considers a range of scenarios. The department understands the complexity of alignment in some areas, including for plant protection products. The Government is working closely with affected sectors, including farming, to incorporate their on-the-ground knowledge and analysis in planning for implementation.