§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has commissioned on the effects on biodiversity of the increased use of herbicides in farming. [81253]
§ Mr. MeacherMy Department, together with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, commissioned a report on the indirect effects of pesticides, including herbicides, on birds which was published in 1997. Further research on this topic is being funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food which funds a wide programme of research on the effects of pesticides. My Department intends to commission a complementary study this year.