With pest management under the spotlight, particularly regarding glue boards, BPCA has spent more time than ever monitoring what’s happening in the UK parliament and the devolved administrations.
PPC helps keep you firmly in the loop.
Glue Traps (Offences) Bill, Animal Health and other welfare bills receive Royal Assent
New legislation restricting glue trap use in England became law after receiving the go-ahead from the monarch, alongside several other animal health and welfare bills.
The Glue Traps (Offences) Bill received Royal Assent as part of a package of measures by the Government to increase protections for wildlife, pets and livestock.
Welcoming the Royal Assent of the Glue Traps (Offences) Bill, Jane Stevenson, MP for Wolverhampton North East, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that my Glue Traps Bill has been granted Royal Assent, meaning it has now become law.
“The banning of the use of glue traps by the general public is another step forward in the strengthening of animal welfare legislation in England, and I want to thank everyone involved in making this happen.”
Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA’s Head of Technical, commented: “The reason we require the use of glue boards is for the rapid control of infestations on sensitive sites, like hospital wards and care homes. If licences need to be issued on a case-by-case basis, then this could render glue boards useless too.”
BPCA has already begun conversations with Defra and Natural England on what a licensing scheme could look like.
FAQS
Do I have to stop using glue traps immediately?
No, you can continue to use glue traps during the two-year lead-in period set out by the Government, during which the licensing scheme will be created and rolled out. BPCA will keep professionals updated regarding this.
What will the conditions of a glue traps licence for professionals be?
The details of the licensing scheme have yet to be decided and BPCA will be engaging with stakeholders wherever possible, in order to make sure that the system is workable.
Bird control licences
Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
Four new draft general licences and a report on the decisions surrounding those general licences are among the key documents being shared with pest controllers.
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
The withdrawn consultation on bird licences in Northern Ireland will not go live again until after the NI elections. On gulls, they confirmed to BPCA that all licence applications had been granted and they will be publishing a piece of research work shortly.
Brodifacoum safety
On 21 April 2022, Rosie Duffield MP asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will review whether Brodifacoum is safe and appropriate to be used in the open countryside.
Minister for the Cabinet Office, Chloe Smith replied: “During the authorisation process, HSE conducts rigorous evaluation for safety and efficacy using scientific data, with restrictions placed on authorisations as appropriate. In order to avoid secondary poisoning risks to non-target species, current product authorisations restrict the use of SGARs in open areas to farmers, gamekeepers and other trained professionals where other integrated pest management approaches fail to control rodent populations.
"Some SGARs, including brodifacoum, can only be used in sewers and in and around buildings. There has been no change in the authorised areas of use of brodifacoum products since the renewals of their authorisations from 2017.
"A stewardship scheme is in place in the UK for professional use of SGARs, including brodifacoum. A cornerstone of the stewardship scheme is the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) Code of Best Practice, which sets out guidance on the safe use of rodenticides. It is a legal requirement to comply with this Code.
“The stewardship scheme is overseen by a Government Oversight Group (GOG) led by HSE with representatives of other government stakeholders, who meet annually to assess its impact.
“This year the GOG is conducting a review of the stewardship scheme after five years of operation and will publish its findings in due course.
"The review will look at the performance of the scheme in three key areas: the governance of the supply chain, improving workforce competence and the monitoring of compliance. The latter includes considering the monitoring of exposure arrangements and looking in more detail at monitoring data.”
Pest control regulation
On 5 April 2022, Jim Shannon MP asked the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to streamline the regulatory framework applying to pest control.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow replied, “Local authorities have certain responsibilities for the control of some types of pest and have the flexibility to allocate resources to address local priorities, based on an assessment of risk.
“Local priorities will vary across geographical areas and might involve one or more type of pest such as wasps, rats, mice and bedbugs. Under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities have a duty to deal with infestations of rats and mice. Defra has no plans to amend this legislation.”
Scary world of politics
It’s hard to keep track of all the pest control chatter in each devolved administration.
Never fear – BPCA is in regular communication with different government departments and politicians. We’re here to represent pest management at every level.
Read more about our lobbying work here.
Remember, if you want to talk to your MP, BPCA can support the conversation.
hello@bpca.org.uk
Source: PPC107