Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of bee bricks installed in new buildings on supporting bee populations.

While no formal assessment of the effectiveness of bee bricks has been undertaken, the Government works with public, private and voluntary sector partners to develop advice for everyone wishing to provide and manage nesting and feeding resources for bees and other insects, whether in gardens, the wider countryside or new buildings.

This advice is based on clear evidence that by increasing habitat for insects, including bees, we support long-term population increases in those insects.

Defra and Natural England are also working with other partners and stakeholders to develop a Green Infrastructure Framework. This will provide guidance as to what good green infrastructure looks like and help local authorities, developers and communities to improve provision in their area, including introducing nature friendly features into new developments.

In addition, all public bodies, including local authorities, have a legal duty under the 2006 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act to have regard to conserving biodiversity when exercising their functions, a duty which the Environment Act 2021 strengthens. Some local authorities may choose to introduce a planning requirement that requires suitable new buildings to include bee bricks, or they may focus on other measures, such as creating pollinator friendly wildflower habitats.