§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to make an evaluation of the success or outcome of the Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides. [166458]
§ Alun MichaelThe Government regularly reviews progress with the Voluntary Initiative on pesticides and reports its broad conclusions in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report. In Budget 2004 the Government confirmed its view that, provided the Initiative is fully implemented, it should be the most effective way of reducing the environmental impacts of pesticide use. However, to cover the potential case that the Initiative might fail to deliver the required environmental benefits within a reasonable timescale, the Government continues to keep the options for a tax or economic instrument under review.