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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to authorise the use of the insecticide active ingredient, Sulfoxaflor; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of Sulfoxaflor on bees.

Insecticides are only permitted for use if scientific risk assessments find no harmful effect on people and no unacceptable effects on the environment. Assessment and decision-making for active substances takes place at EU level and sulfoxaflor was approved in 2015. Products containing approved active substances can only be used if authorised by the UK. No authorisation has been given to date for any product containing sulfoxaflor. The assessment of any application for such a product would include full consideration of the potential effects on bees.