It is for each local authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations without harming people or the environment and the Government is currently working with stakeholders in the sector to increase awareness and uptake of Integrated Pest Management to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
I am aware of the Plant Protection Products (Prohibition on Public Sector Use) Bill, a Private Members' Bill which seeks to prohibit the use of professional plant protection products by local authorities and other public authorities for amenity purposes although I understand the sponsoring MP’s constituency, Brighton and Hove City Council have recently reintroduced the use of glyphosate in some areas, five years after pledging to end its use. Brighton council previously scrapped the use of glyphosate in 2019, an approach which has been blamed for rampant weed growth, particularly in the suburbs, in the years since.
I hope this Labour Government continues to uphold the position of the last Government that the first priority regarding pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.
Glyphosate is currently approved as an active substance for use in pesticide products in Great Britain. I am aware that all active substances, including glyphosate, are subject to a scientific risk assessment, drawing on expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive and the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides. This includes an assessment of the toxicity to species that are not the target of the pesticide, such as invertebrates, mammals, birds, and aquatic animals. I am assured that pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised.
The Government has said it will consider its position on glyphosate when its approval is next due for renewal. I hope that the Government's work will deliver effective reforms and I will hold the Government to account on their work to deliver these changes. I will follow any developments closely and will welcome any alternative approaches or new products that prove to be both sustainable and effective in maintaining safety for pedestrians and the preservation of our roads, pathways and pavements.
The next stage for this Bill, Second reading, is scheduled to take place on Friday 17 October 2025.
