Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution today announced that it has agreed to a request from the Rt Hon Alun Michael, Minister of Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality, to carry out a special study that will examine the scientific evidence on which Defra has based its decision on bystander exposure and its policy on access to information on crop spraying. The Commission will also consider wider issues related to the handling and communication of uncertainty and public involvement, values and perceptions in this context.

The Chair of the Royal Commission¹, Sir Tom Blundell² , said today:

“I am very pleased that Defra has asked the Royal Commission to conduct a study of the current policy on pesticides and bystander exposure. This is an important issue and I believe that the Commission can helpfully contribute to the debate building on the principles it set out in its earlier more general studies particularly the Twenty-first study on Setting Environmental Standards. I must emphasise that although the Commission is undertaking this work at the request of Defra, it will, as in all of its reports, act completely independently”.

The Royal Commission made a number of recommendations for Setting Environmental Standards in its Twenty-first Report and on chemicals (although pesticides were not addressed as such) in its Twenty-fourth Report.

The Commission will welcome views from anyone who wishes to contribute, and will announce consultation arrangements shortly.

NOTES TO EDITORS

¹The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is an independent body, appointed by the Queen and funded by the government, which publishes in-depth reports on what it identifies as the crucial environmental issues facing the UK and the world. The Royal Commission’s full reports are presented to Parliament. This Special Study has been carried out over a much shorter timescale than full reports, but it is based on reports that the Royal Commission has published in the past, together with some new material.

²   Sir Tom Blundell is Sir William Dunn Professor and Head of Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge and Professorial Fellow of Sidney Sussex College.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The contact for all enquiries about this announcement, or about the new study, is:

Tom Eddy, Secretary to the Commission, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, 5-8 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JS (telephone 020 7799 8981; email dot.watson@rcep.org.uk).

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