HL Deb 18 June 2002 vol 636 cc79-80WA
Lord Beaumont of Whitley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord Whitty on 25 March (WA 24), whether they will provide a list of the research projects funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2001–02 into methods of pest and disease control which do not involve the use of chemical pesticides, including details of the title of the research contract, the institution which was awarded the contract, the value of that contract and the title and date of the completed report and. [HL4691]

Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Whitty on 25 March (WA 24), what were:

  1. (a) the total expenditure from the agricultural research budgets for each year between 1995–96 and 1999–2000 spent on investigating methods of pest and disease control which do not involve the use of chemical pesticides;
  2. (b) the percentage of the agricultural research budget that this represented in each of the years; and
  3. (c) for each year the title of each research contract, the institution which was awarded the contract, the value of that contract and the title and date of the completed report. [HL4692]

Lord Whitty

Research spending on pest and disease control that does not involve the use of chemical pesticides has been relatively stable over the past five years at approximately £12 million, or 7 per cent. of the agricultural research budget. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides details of its research projects on its website (http://defraweb/research/projects/default.asap). Details are searchable under project title, year of completion, contractor and policy area. Projects on non-chemical control of pests and diseases are found under the agri-industrial materials, horticulture and potatoes, sustainable arable farming, pesticides, and organic farming policy areas. Full reports of all completed projects are also provided.