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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the conclusions of the report led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology published in Nature Communications on 16 August 2016, entitled Impacts of neonicotinoid use on long-term population change in wild bees in England; and if she will make a statement.

We consider new studies on neonicotinoids, including the recent study led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, carefully, drawing on advice from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides as well as from government experts. The Government remains committed to ensuring that pesticides are not authorised if the scientific evidence shows they pose unacceptable risks to the environment.