LEGISLATION

Defra has confirmed that Natural England has been appointed as the regulator for glue trap licensing in England.

The appointment was made by Minister Rebecca Pow, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

On the timeline for implementation, Defra has said:

“With regards to the timing and implementation period, it is important to us that all pest controllers are aware of their responsibilities when acting under a licence and we want to ensure that there are no operability gaps between commencing the Glue Traps (Offences) Act and the introduction of the licensing regime.

“The minister therefore supports an approach which will allow pest controllers to register for a licence prior to the Act coming into force, which is expected to be July 2024”.

This means pest professionals will be able to continue to use glue boards for rodents in England without a license until July 2024, when a licensing scheme will be in place.

BPCA Chief Exec, Ian Andrew said:

“While it’s been a frustrating wait for news regarding glue board licensing in England, we’re pleased Minister Pow has appointed Natural England and delayed the implementation date.

“I’ve already written to Defra to remind them that BPCA and our members are on hand to help make sure the licensing scheme is workable and allows us to protect public health”.

He continued:

“BPCA will continue to represent the pest management community. Our fight for a licensing scheme in Scotland continues.

“Above all, we must ensure that pest professionals have access to a robust toolkit that protects citizens from the disease, destruction and distress pest infestations cause”.