§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards achieving the Government's objective of minimising the environmental impact of pesticides. [148865]
§ Ms QuinThe MAFF publication "Towards Sustainable Agriculture—A Pilot Set of Indicators", (which is available on the MAFF website www.maff.gov.uk) includes five indicators of pesticide use which, taken together, show the progress that is being made on minimisation.
The Government recognise that there is an on-going need to encourage and support minimisation as a component of the drive towards more sustainable agriculture. We will continue to fund a wide-ranging programme of research on minimisation, support schemes promoting environmentally friendly farming, and to promote the work of the independent pesticides forum.