PPC116 | Pests in politics

▶ BPCA’s Fight for Practical Glue Board Licensing

We find ourselves at a crucial juncture in the fight to protect food security, public health and vulnerable members of society. Recent plans to license the use of glue boards for pest control, announced by Defra, present significant challenges that cannot be overlooked.

We recently expressed our grave concerns in a letter to Steve Barclay MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In our letter, we urged for a delay in the implementation of the new licensing scheme to allow for proper engagement with the professional pest management community and to better protect public health.

Our Chief Executive, Ian Andrew, has been outspoken about the potential consequences of the licensing scheme. He has described it as “ill-thought-out” and likely to result in “disease, distress and business closures”. Many essential businesses, such as supermarkets, restaurants, takeaways and hotels, would be excluded from consideration for a license under the current plan.

Minister acts on some points
Recent updates from Defra, following directives from Minister Pow, have brought some changes. The licences will now include national and regional distributors for food manufacturing facilities.  

Minister Pow has also recognised that, on rare occasions, establishments like pubs, restaurants, supermarkets or hotels might need immediate action to tackle infestations. Despite these changes,

Defra has reiterated that individual licences will only be issued in exceptional circumstances when no satisfactory alternatives are available.

Modifications are not enough so far
While we appreciate these adjustments, they do not go far enough. As Ian Andrew stated, “While we’re pleased that Minister Pow has finally acknowledged our concerns, we don’t believe these changes go far enough.

“We’d have liked to see the class licences expanded to include all food sites so pest professionals could continue to rapidly protect public health, without waiting many days for their individual licences to be approved by Natural England.”

Businesses will likely face closures for several days to ensure customer safety, and the high costs of these licenses could make it difficult for smaller businesses to afford the necessary protection.

The licensing process could take up to 15 days, leading to prolonged closures or hazardous conditions for consumers.

Each deployment of glue boards, once permitted, could cost around £2,500.

The risk of rodent infestations does not end once food leaves the production facility. These risks remain as food moves through the supply chain. It is unfair and impractical to expect small local
food production businesses to have any less protection than large national companies.

Moreover, the lack of provision for glue board treatments in homes, even in the most dangerous situations, is a serious oversight. Vulnerable people in England could be forced to live with severe rodent infestations for weeks while other control methods take effect.

These plans put the welfare of rats and mice above human health and safety.

Current state of play
The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 took effect on 31 July 2024. Defra has clarified that fees will only be charged if a licence is granted. BPCA believes the current scheme is impractical and rushed, with limited consultation and only six weeks before implementation.

The General Election has further complicated matters, making it harder for us to influence government decisions. Ian Andrew remarked, “We’ll continue to try and make this licensing scheme as workable as possible.

However, the election has made it even more difficult to influence policy decisions or get the ear of a minister”.

Your help is needed
We urge our members and affected parties to report any issues encountered with the glue board licensing scheme. Your feedback is crucial in helping us address these concerns effectively. We are committed to advocating for a more practical and balanced licensing scheme that ensures public health is not compromised.

The debate over glue board licensing highlights the broader issue of regulating pest control measures. There needs to be a balance between protecting public health and animal welfare.

As new regulations come into effect, we at BPCA remain dedicated to representing the pest management industry’s needs and ensuring public health is our top priority.

▶ A manifesto for pest management

Ahead of the recent election, BPCA launched its manifesto detailing our policy demands of the next government.  

BPCA Chief Exec Ian Andrew said: “Our manifesto is the culmination of many months of work. Our member volunteers were asked, ‘What should our ‘key asks’ be of the next government?’.

“Together, we created this policy document to get politicians to engage with pest management in order to help us to continue to protect public health and safety.” 

The manifesto contains briefing documents, policy recommendations, and key stats designed to introduce politicians, civil servants, and stakeholders to pest management.  

Ian continued: “The manifesto sets out four policy areas for protecting people from the disease, destruction, and distress pests can cause.

“They champion the professionalism of BPCA members and to protect the toolkit of the entire sector.

“Thank you to all the members who have contributed to this enormous project. We look forward to reporting on our progress.”

Policy on a page...

The full Manifesto is now available to download on the BPCA Policy section of the website. 
bpca.org.uk/policy

“...we created this policy document to get politicians to engage with pest management...”