Neonicotinoids
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to publish a timetable for ending emergency authorisations of neonicotinoid pesticides; and what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on supporting farmers to transition to alternative means of pest management.
Answered by Emma Hardy
This Government has already taken decisive action on neonicotinoids: it set out plans to change existing policies to prevent the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten vital pollinators, including through emergency authorisations, in our policy statement of 21 December 2024. The Health and Safety Executive published updated guidance for emergency authorisations of pesticides on 11 September 2025. Negotiations are underway on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU; any further action can be considered once the new pesticides regulatory framework for Great Britain is agreed.
We regularly meet the devolved governments, including the Scottish government, to discuss pesticide use.
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