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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in particular through diplomatic representations and support for scientific information sharing, to prevent the use internationally of paraquat and similar toxic herbicides banned in the UK.

British businesses can only export Paraquat under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime. GB companies intending to export Paraquat must notify and exchange information with the importing country via the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the explicit consent of the importing country is required before export can take place. This process allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import, handling and safe use.

The UK also works internationally to manage pesticides safely. We support the listing of Paraquat under the Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral treaty the UK is party to that promotes shared responsibilities and information sharing in relation to the international trade of hazardous chemicals. We recently supported the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution which will support scientific information sharing to enhance global decision making on the management of chemicals and pesticides.