CEPA President Henry Mott has been pushing for clarification by the UK government on the recognition of the pest management profession as key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following his correspondence with Alicia Kearns, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, we can confirm that approval has been given by Secretary of State, George Eustice MP, of the pest management profession falling under the category of key worker in the UK. In her email to Henry Mott, Ms Kearns MP added:
I agree that pest management is vital, and following your email I lobbied Ministers at DEFRA to make sure that pest management roles are classed as key workers.
I agree that pest control teams contribute a large amount to keeping our country safe from infection and the spread of disease. I am very grateful to you, your teams in Rutland, and indeed the wider membership for all that you do, and all that you are doing during this pandemic.
This positive development shows the value of national political outreach by CEPA and its members. Bringing the issue to the attention of national governments who are battling with COVID-19 is so far proving useful across Europe. Check CEPA's tracker and see what the status of the pest management profession is in your country during this crisis.