Question reference: S5W-34025
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 14 December 2020
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Current status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 5 January 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the regulation and use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
Answer
On 3 February 2021 thiacloprid loses EU and UK approval for use, joining clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam which have not been approved in the UK since 2018. The Scottish Government supported the regulatory decisions to restrict the use of these insecticides and have no plans to alter this position unless the scientific evidence changes.
The Scottish Government continues to work with land managers and industry partners to promote best practice principles to further reduce reliance on pesticides as outlined in our Programme for Government. We encourage the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to help land managers reduce and target their use of pesticides and adopt a site specific approach that integrates a range of complimentary control measures.