Plant protection products (PPPs – also known as pesticides) may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if they have been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised.

Our strict, science-based regulation is supplemented with policies to encourage safe and minimal use. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) lies at the heart of the government’s approach to minimise the environmental impact of PPPs, including fungicides. IPM practices can reduce the risks associated with pesticide use, helping to protect wildlife, and enhance soil and water quality.

This Government recognises the importance of carefully managing pesticide use, including fungicides, to protect the environment and human health and address the risks of resistance.

During the plant protection product approvals process, the Health and Safety Executive considers the potential for resistance development in the target pest organism. Where resistance is known or anticipated, limitations are placed on product use to mitigate resistance developing. Defra is also funding work by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board which provides farmers best practice to minimise the risk of resistance emerging.

Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department of Health and Social Care has provided over £12 million in funding over the last five years for research into fungal infections and tackling antifungal resistance. Defra has also co-funded a research programme for UK Research and Innovation on ‘Transdisciplinary research to tackle antimicrobial resistance’.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is routinely monitoring threats from antifungal resistance. The National Mycology Reference Laboratory performs antifungal susceptibility testing of fungi from human infections from across the UK. UKHSA also monitors antifungal susceptibility testing data for fungal yeast pathogens isolated from blood samples from local microbiology laboratories in England. Trends are published annually.

The decision to withdraw the use of mancozeb in Great Britain does not immediately affect imports. The UK Government recognises the importance that bilateral trade between the UK and Colombia plays in boosting growth and ensuring regional stability. The UK is open to discussing the concerns of our trade partners, though DBT Ministers have not met with Colombia on this issue.

Pesticide Active substance approvals are only granted following careful scientific assessment of risks to people, animals and the environment. We do not consider economic benefits of use. Mancozeb no longer meets GB approval criteria as regards to endocrine disrupting properties, non-dietary risks to human health and exposure risk to operators.

Food treated with mancozeb can continue to be placed on the GB market provided it meets our Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).

Defra has not provided funding for research into the development and trial of multi-site fungicide alternatives to mancozeb that are viable for tropical fruit exporters in Latin America.

This Government recognises the importance of carefully managing pesticide use – including fungicides – to protect the environment and human health, and address the risks of resistance.

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP), published in March, sets out the actions we will take to support effective and sustainable pest management. A key goal in the NAP is increasing uptake of integrated pest management – a holistic approach that reduces the likelihood of resistance building by minimising and optimising pesticide use.

When authorising pesticide products, the regulations require the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to consider the potential for resistance development in the target pest organism. Where such resistance is known or anticipated, HSE will place specific limitations on the use of the plant protection product to help mitigate the likelihood and speed of resistance development. Authorisation holders are also required to monitor the resistance situation and report significant changes in resistance status to HSE.

The possible development of resistance in non-target organisms, for example through indirect exposure or the transfer of resistance genes, is not specifically considered. This mirrors international plant protection standards. HSE is considering the latest evidence relating to fungal antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in particular the recent European Food Safety Authority publication.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes annual figures on drug-resistant fungal bloodstream infections, and on the use of antifungal drugs in the human healthcare sector.

Fungaemia (including candidaemia): annual data from voluntary surveillance - GOV.UK (copy attached to this answer)

English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report - GOV.UK (copy attached to this answer)

UKHSA is one of many collaborators working with the One Health collaborative PATHSAFE programme and the recently announced UK Research and Innovation Fungal One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Network, both established to develop new approaches to tackling AMR.

Integrated pest management (IPM) helps support sustainable agriculture and combat pesticide resistance by diversifying the tools used to handle pests. The Government supports farmers’ use of IPM through the Sustainable Farming Initiative’s paid actions. These include optimising chemical pesticide use through precision application. Last year we launched a new IPM guidance page on gov.uk which provides clear and practical information about IPM to support planning and decision making.

We work closely with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which monitors fungicide resistance development in cereal pathogens, to inform disease management strategies.

Antifungal resistance in humans, which is in part driven by the use of fungicides, is increasing globally and in the UK. Fungicides must be used responsibly to reduce potential risk to public health. The Government is committed to investing in research and development to advance its understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and how it spreads. The AMR National Action Plan’s top 10 research priorities include questions that seek to understand what drives resistance beyond antimicrobials, such as the risks associated with the use of antifungals on human health.

The UK Plant Health Risk Register is a comparison tool used to assess the risk to the UK of non-native plant pests to both cultivated plants and those in the wider environment. It is used to prioritise actions that industry and Government can take to reduce the threat posed by each pest. Resistant strains of plant pests are not evaluated in the risk register because 1) the metrics used to assess non-native plant pest species are not appropriate to the assessment of resistant plant pest strains, and 2) plant health legislation applies to non-native pest species rather than strains of species that are already present in the UK. However, Defra has funded a Review of Antibiotic Use in Crops, Associated Risk of Antimicrobial Resistance and Research Gaps (copy attached) and collaborates with international organisations, such as via the International Plant Protection Convention, on approaches to AMR.

Defra is aware of the concerns of GB potato growers about the Health and Safety Executives’ (HSE) proposed decision to withdraw approval of mancozeb. GB pesticides legislation requires that decisions on active substances are solely based on careful scientific assessment of risks, to provide a high level of protection for people and the environment.

HSE has reviewed the approval of mancozeb. In light of new scientific and technical information received, HSE has concluded that the active substance no longer satisfies the approval criteria. The review concluded that mancozeb has endocrine disrupting properties for humans and non-target organisms. In addition, non-dietary exposure exceeded the reference levels. HSE has therefore proposed to withdraw approval of mancozeb in GB. The withdrawal of products containing mancozeb will not be immediate; we expect HSE to set an 18-month grace period (six months for sale and supply, and 12 months after that for storage, disposal and use) to allow existing stocks in the supply chain to be used up.

Under certain circumstances, set out in Article 53 of Assimilated Regulation 1107/2009, it is possible to grant emergency authorisation for the placing on the market of a pesticide containing an active substance that is not approved. There must be special circumstances where limited and controlled use is necessary because of a danger to crops, other plants or the environment, including human or animal health, that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means.

We are not aware of any HSE proposal to withdraw any other multi-site fungicide.

Any plant protection product used to control fungal diseases such as Botrytis and downy mildew in crops needs to be authorised before it can be sold or used. Authorisation is granted if strict standards for the protection of people and the environment are met.

The organic regulations have a list of approved plant protection products available for organic farmers to manage pests, disease and weed management at crop production stage. Their use comes under restrictive conditions such as compositional requirements and they can only be used in certain situations. Use of the crop products support organic farmers to produce healthy crops including organic grapes for the UK wine industry.

The Government intends to take advantage of our new post EU Exit freedoms and review the organic regulations. The broad aim of the review will be to improve the clarity and functioning of the regulations and through this, support growth in the organic sector. The review will cover the full organics regulatory regime, soil fertilising products, plant protection products, inputs and processing aids to support organic production. Changes to these regulations will require full consultation and consider the impacts on organic equivalence agreements in place with key trading partners.

Emergency authorisation to use a product containing copper hydroxide on organic potatoes was granted for England only following an application from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. The application stated that the total area of organic potatoes grown across the UK was 800 hectares and that treatment of the full area might be required. The Government does not currently have a figure for the area that was actually treated. However, the stewardship programme agreed with AHDB requires that this information is collected and is submitted with any future application for a similar emergency authorisation.

The European Commission Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (pesticides legislation and residues) voted not to renew approval of chlorothalonil on 22 March. The Commission is now expected to adopt this proposal. Once the text is published, it will come into force after 20 days.

When we leave the EU, the UK will retain the list of EU-approved pesticides in UK law as it stands at the point of departure, or at the end of the Implementation Period, if this applies.

If we leave the EU without a deal and the EU decision on chlorothalonil is not in force at the point of leaving the EU, then the UK will make its own decision on this approval. We have made clear that we will not weaken standards. Decisions on the use of pesticides will continue to be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks, and we would legally apply the same principles established under the EU regulation. Responsibility is shared between Defra and the Devolved Administrations. This would be based on a recommendation from our national regulator, the Health and Safety Executive, and additional independent advice and assurance from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides.

The European Commission Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (pesticides legislation and residues) voted not to renew approval of chlorothalonil on 22 March. The Commission is now expected to adopt this proposal. Once the text is published, it will come into force after 20 days.

When we leave the EU, the UK will retain the list of EU-approved pesticides in UK law as it stands at the point of departure (or at the end of the Implementation Period, if this applies).

If we leave the EU without a deal and the EU decision on chlorothalonil is not in force at the point of leaving the EU, then the UK will make its own decision on this approval. We have made clear that we will not weaken standards. Decisions on the use of pesticides will continue to be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks, and we would legally apply the same principles established under the EU regulation. Responsibility is shared between Defra and the Devolved Administrations. This would be based on a recommendation from our national regulator, the Health and Safety Executive, and additional independent advice and assurance from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides.