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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to address declines in the UK bee population and, in view of the efforts of other countries to promote urban beekeeping, whether they will follow that example and support the conservation of all bee species.

Protecting our bee species is a priority for this Government. We all have an important role to play in supporting pollinators. They are an essential part of our environment and play a crucial role in food production.

Defra supports the honey bee population through its Bee Health programme, delivered for England and Wales by the National Bee Unit (NBU). The programme aims to protect honey bees from pests and diseases, including tackling disease outbreaks and monitoring for exotic pests, including the Asian hornet. Inspectors carry out a total of over 6,000 apiary inspections each year during which free training is provided to beekeepers on how to keep their bees healthy.

Although honey bee numbers fell between 1985 and 2005, there is some evidence of a more recent increase as beekeeping has become more popular. In the last five years, activity in the beekeeping sector, and thus honeybee numbers, has appeared to increase. Colonies of honey bees recorded on BeeBase, the voluntary database of the National Bee Unit (NBU), increased from 108,649 in 2009 to 188,143 in 2017.

Trends in UK bee populations, however, are different for managed honey bees and wild bees. Over a similar period populations of wild bees have become less diverse in many areas of Britain, although we do not have data on how their abundance has changed.

In 2014 Defra published the National Pollinator Strategy, which highlights the vital contribution we can all make to support all pollinators, both managed and wild.

The Strategy is a shared plan between the Government, our partners and stakeholders, and builds on policies that support pollinators, including habitat creation, pest and disease management, monitoring and research. The soon to be published National Pollinator Strategy Progress Report will highlight the considerable progress that has been made in the 23 policy and 11 evidence actions contained in the Strategy.

Working with partners, a range of activities has helped to promote pollinators’ needs in the urban environment. These initiatives have included Buglife introducing Urban Buzz to four cities, Birmingham, Cardiff, Plymouth and York, resulting in 3,000 volunteers restoring nearly 100 hectares of pollinator habitat across 220 sites. Defra has also funded a number of information sheets, giving tailored information on managing urban landscapes for pollinators.

Additionally, the Strategy is now referenced in planning guidance, supported by the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, and there is dedicated help available to brownfield users through Buglife’s Brownfield Hub.

Some of these initiatives are promoted during “Bees’ Needs Week”, held annually in the summer, and at the Bee’s Needs Champions Awards event, which recognises the efforts of personal and corporate champions.