Chamber and committees

I am not saying that they are holding things up; I am asking whether they are preventing developments that might have benefits across the whole environment rather than just in the area that was designated or that falls within the designation for a species of flora or fauna.

A lot of chemical applications will be for on-label use but will involve a different permutation of the chemical application. They will have data sheets anyway, and, if companies have applied for use in the European Union, surely they will be submitting that information voluntarily, and the questions asked by the European Union will also apply to the HSE regarding the use of that chemical in the UK. Therefore, it should surely not slow things up that much.

I want to check that I understand this. The application processes in the UK and the EU will run in tandem, so a lot of information that will be asked for will be similar. I cannot see how things will be slowed down for companies.

I am sorry, Mr Ruskell—I did not quite hear that question.

I was hoping that Natalie Don was not about to say no there. We are agreed.

Minister, you can slip away now. I know that you are busy.

That concludes the public part of our meeting.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 26th meeting in 2022 of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

Agenda item 1 is consideration of whether to take agenda items 6, 7 and 8 in private. Item 6 is consideration of evidence that we will hear on the legislative consent memorandum on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill; item 7 is consideration of the committee’s work programme; and item 8 is consideration of candidates for the post of adviser on climate change. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

We move to questions from Jackie Dunbar next; we will come to the deputy convener later.

Thank you for that explanation, minister, and for notifying the committee by letter so that we could consider that prior to today’s meeting.

The first questions come from Jackie Dunbar.

I will bring in Dan Merckel on that. It is unlikely that most chemical manufacturers will see the UK as a big enough market to develop a product for. Surely they will do that for the UK and the EU in tandem.