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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the challenges faced by honeybees in the UK.

In England, Defra helps beekeepers tackle the challenges facing the honey bee through the work of the National Bee Unit (NBU). NBU Bee Inspectors carry out inspections for pests and diseases and provide at hive advice at over 5,000 apiaries each year. Where key pests and diseases are found the inspectors take necessary statutory action for their control. Education of beekeepers and sharing best practice are essential for healthy colonies. To this end the NBU has an extensive programme of education and training events throughout the year. We also provide some funding for the Bee Farmers Apprenticeship Scheme which aims to encourage young people to become commercial beekeepers.

Contingency plans are in place outlining the Government’s response to the threat from exotic pests such as the Asian hornet. The plans have been successfully used to tackle Asian hornet outbreaks in the Southwest.

Under the National Pollinator Strategy, we are encouraging the public to support honey bees and other pollinators by planting flowering plants and trees to improve the forage available and expand upon existing shelter and nest sites.

We are committed to strict regulation of pesticides to ensure that they do not harm honeybees and other pollinators. Based on the scientific evidence, we supported the recent European Commission decision to tighten the existing restrictions on neonicotinoid insecticides.