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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the contribution of the Environment Minister to the Westminster Hall debate on Bee-Killing Pesticides on 1 February 2023, Official Report, column 108WH, if she will outline (a) the decision-making process for the use of Cruiser SB following the predicted virus incidence forecast on 1 March and (b) the role of (i) Parliament and (ii) Ministers; and if she will make a statement.

Defra has granted an emergency authorisation to use Cruiser SB to treat seeds for the 2023 sugar beet seed crop in England. Cruiser SB is effective in controlling the spread of viruses that harm the crop and these viruses are more of a threat in some years than others. To avoid the use of Cruiser in 2023 if the virus threat is limited, the emergency authorisation includes a threshold for predicted virus incidence. If the threshold is not met, the use of Cruiser SB is not allowed. The prediction is made by an established model created by Rothamsted Research and run by them on 1 March. The output of the model determines whether the threshold is met and that in turn determines whether Cruiser SB can be used. Farmers planning to grow sugar beet this year have decided whether they wish to use treated seed. If the threshold is reached, that seed will be treated and distributed to farms. There is no decision to be taken by the Government or by growers in response to the prediction of virus incidence.