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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the transmission of disease through (1) imported, or (2) internally traded, bumblebees and bumblebee hives.

The Government is committed to preventing pests and diseases reaching our borders. We are promoting biosecurity internationally, at UK borders and inland.

Imports of bumblebees are only accepted from approved countries. Consignments must be produced in a controlled environment which is supervised by the competent authority in the exporting country. They must be checked before dispatch. They are accompanied by health certificates that guarantee the bees are free from notifiable pests and diseases. The bees may be subject to checks at destination (for EU bees) or at a border control point (for bumblebees from other countries).

There are no restrictions on movements of bumblebees from one area of GB to another.