§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support the Department provides to the Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides website. [151008]
§ Alun MichaelDefra provides no support for the website of the Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides.
GummerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions(a) she and (b) her officials have had with the Treasury regarding a tax on pesticides. [150031]
§ Alun MichaelProviding that it is fully implemented, the industry-led voluntary initiative on pesticides should successfully deliver the reduction in adverse environmental impact of pesticide use to which the Government are committed However, Defra and Treasury officials are continuing to consider options for a tax or other economic instrument should the voluntary initiative fail to deliver agreed objectives within a reasonable timescale. Defra and Treasury Ministers have had no recent discussions on a possible pesticides tax.