Neonicotinoids
(asked on 25th January 2021) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 14 January (HL Deb, cols 874–7), what plans they have to publish (1) the full application made by the National Farmers’ Union in 2020 for an emergency authorisation of the use the neonicotinoid product 'Cruiser SB' to treat sugar beet in 2021, and (2) any advice they received from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and Natural England in regard to that application.
The process for considering an emergency authorisation for a pesticide is set out in the legislation and includes consideration of potential risks to people and to the environment. The process was followed for this application and the Secretary of State decided that the criteria for an emergency authorisation have been met in this case. His decision was informed by assessments and advice from the Health and Safety Executive, the Expert Committee on Pesticides (ECP) and Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser. Natural England is sighted on emergency authorisation applications. No advice was requested or received on this application.
The information contained in applications made for emergency authorisations is not normally published. The ECP publishes the minutes of its discussions, and its advice on the Cruiser SB application is contained in the minutes from the 24 November 2020 meeting (attached to this answer and also available online at the following link):