§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies she has commissioned into the Voluntary Initiative programme to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides; what the terms of reference are; which body has been commissioned to undertake the studies; what the anticipated cost to the Department is; when she expects to receive the results; when they will be published; and if she will make a statement. [86748]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 11 December 2002]: The Government are committed to minimising the adverse environmental impact of pesticide use, consistent with adequate crop protection. A voluntary agreement on measures to reduce the environmental damage caused by pesticides was entered into by the industry and other stakeholders in April 2001. Provided the Voluntary Initiative is fully implemented, it should reduce the environmental impacts of pesticides and the Government remain committed to this approach. However, the Government are carrying out further work and analysis on a possible tax or other economic instrument, should the Voluntary Initiative fail to deliver its objectives within a reasonable timescale.
The study referred to in the question has not yet been commissioned. Officials are in the process of commissioning work to develop a framework to enable subsequent assessment of the Voluntary Initiative. This will complement the indicators and targets put together by the Voluntary Initiative Steering Group and will, in particular, enable a comparison of the environmental benefits of the Voluntary Initiative and of a possible pesticides tax. The study is intended to he completed by the summer and will subsequently be published.