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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the announcement of 14 January 2022 on Emergency pesticide authorisation approved to protect sugar beet in England if specific conditions are met, what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of such neonics; and if he will take steps to prevent pollinator decline in accordance with the National Pollinator Strategy.

The emergency authorisation of Cruiser SB to protect sugar beet was given following a full assessment against the legal requirements. These are that there must be special circumstances, use must be limited and controlled, and the authorisation must appear necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by other reasonable means.

Scientific evaluation of any risks to humans, animals and the environment (including risks to bees and other pollinators) is central to the assessment. In taking the decision, the Secretary of State was informed by the assessment carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and additional scientific advice from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor.

The scientific assessment flagged that there could be a risk to bees not from the crop itself but from neonicotinoid residues in the soil which could be taken up by plants in the field or field margin. The neonicotinoid breaks down over time and so the authorisation is subject to a condition that no flowering crop can be planted for 32 months following any planting of sugar beet treated with Cruiser SB. This substantially reduces the risks.

Pollinators are a priority for this Government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy's provisions. We are restoring and creating habitat for wild and managed pollinators to thrive; addressing pressures including by supporting Integrated Pest Management (IPM); raising awareness across society so that people can take action themselves; and supporting monitoring and research.

The Environment Act also requires a new legally binding target to be set to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, which will drive actions to deliver nature recovery and help to reverse declines in species, including pollinators.