Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the health of the bee population in England.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The bee population is comprised of honey bee colonies managed by beekeepers and bee farmers, and wild bees, of which there are more than 250 species in the UK.
Defra supports the honey bee population through the work of the National Bee Unit inspectorate, which operates our bee pest surveillance programmes and provides free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition.
Levels of American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB), serious diseases of honey bees, have remained relatively low in recent years. In 2021, around 35,000 colonies across 5,500 apiaries were inspected in England and Wales. In England, AFB was found to be present in 0.13% of colonies inspected in 2021, and EFB in 2.73% of colonies.
Our contingency planning and response work has proved effective in dealing with incursions of the invasive species Asian hornet, which poses a serious threat to honey bees and other pollinating insects. We have robust import controls and an extensive surveillance programme in place for other invasive pests such as Small hive beetle which, to date, has not been detected in the UK.
Our annual Hive Count exercise indicates that numbers of managed honey bees have increased in recent years, from around 252,000 UK colonies in 2017 to 272,000 in 2021. To a large extent, numbers of honey bees are dependent on the number of people willing to keep bees.
Defra's indicator recording the distribution of wild pollinating insects in England between 1980 and 2017 shows long term decline for the majority of the 377 assessed species of hoverflies and bees. In the short term, however, around 40% of these species have become less widespread, and around 40% have become more widespread. A greater number of recorded bee species are becoming more widespread in England than are becoming less widespread. The reverse is true for hoverflies. We cannot provide information on which species are declining and which are increasing. We are keeping these trends under review.
Pollinators are a priority for HM Government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy’s provisions including publication of the National Pollinator Strategy Action Plan in May 2022. Our Healthy Bees Plan 2030 sets out how we will protect and improve the health of honey bees in England.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission research into the interactions between herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, and their combined impact on (1) bees and other pollinators, (2) other insects, and (3) water supplies and aquatic life.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is currently no research commissioned or funded by Defra specifically focused on the interaction between, or combined impact of, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides on the environment and non-target species.
However, Defra currently funds a range of research into the impact of pesticides on the environment and non-target species. This includes the chemical analysis of honey samples collected through the National Honey Monitoring Scheme that assesses the exposure of honey bees to pesticides at a national scale, and research exploring how we can improve our monitoring to better understand the effects of pesticides on other pollinators. Defra also jointly funds the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme with the devolved administrations and partners, which generates systematic data on abundance of bees, hoverflies and other flower-visiting insects at a national scale. Additionally, the Environment Agency monitors the levels of pesticides in rivers across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help protect bumblebee habitats.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our National Pollinator Strategy Action Plan was published in May 2022, setting out how we will improve the status of pollinators in England. This includes restoring and creating habitat for wild and managed pollinators, including bumblebees.
In England we have an extensive network of protected wildlife areas, providing benefits for many species including pollinators. In addition, our agri-environment schemes, such as the Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme, include a range of actions to create, manage and restore habitats which are beneficial to bumblebees and other pollinators, including establishing nectar flower mixes, multi-species ley, and managing species-rich grassland. The Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package, and CS Wildlife Offers have been designed to deliver more for pollinators and other wildlife.
We are building on these measures in the design of our new Environmental Land Management schemes, which will enable many more farmers and land managers to take positive action for pollinators.
We are also working with landowners, farmers and growers alongside conservation bodies, to facilitate pollinator-friendly environments outside agri-environment schemes. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust's project to reintroduce the short-haired bumblebee in Dungeness - in partnership with Natural England, the RSPB, and over 100 farmers and landowners - has been so successful in creating extensive, quality habitat that other rare species have started to spread to areas where they have not been recorded for up to 40 years.
Defra also coordinates the annual Bees' Needs Champions Awards to recognise and celebrate exemplary initiatives undertaken by schools, local authorities, universities, community groups and bee farmers to support pollinators.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the announcement of 14 January 2022 on Emergency pesticide authorisation approved to protect sugar beet in England if specific conditions are met, what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of such neonics; and if he will take steps to prevent pollinator decline in accordance with the National Pollinator Strategy.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The emergency authorisation of Cruiser SB to protect sugar beet was given following a full assessment against the legal requirements. These are that there must be special circumstances, use must be limited and controlled, and the authorisation must appear necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by other reasonable means.
Scientific evaluation of any risks to humans, animals and the environment (including risks to bees and other pollinators) is central to the assessment. In taking the decision, the Secretary of State was informed by the assessment carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and additional scientific advice from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor.
The scientific assessment flagged that there could be a risk to bees not from the crop itself but from neonicotinoid residues in the soil which could be taken up by plants in the field or field margin. The neonicotinoid breaks down over time and so the authorisation is subject to a condition that no flowering crop can be planted for 32 months following any planting of sugar beet treated with Cruiser SB. This substantially reduces the risks.
Pollinators are a priority for this Government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy's provisions. We are restoring and creating habitat for wild and managed pollinators to thrive; addressing pressures including by supporting Integrated Pest Management (IPM); raising awareness across society so that people can take action themselves; and supporting monitoring and research.
The Environment Act also requires a new legally binding target to be set to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, which will drive actions to deliver nature recovery and help to reverse declines in species, including pollinators.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department has commissioned on the impact of currently authorised pesticides on (a) bees and (b) the potential consequences for the environment.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practises and upholds the highest standards of environmental and health protection. Our first priority is to ensure pesticides have no unacceptable effects on the environment and no harmful effects on human health.
The authorisation of pesticide products, including those containing neonicotinoid active substances, is based on a detailed and robust scientific risk assessment. This is carried out by the regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), using studies and information provided by the applicant to address the extensive data requirements. The regulatory process is constantly updated so that it advances with scientific knowledge, and pesticides are reviewed regularly to ensure that they meet the latest standards. HSE’s assessment includes consideration of what happens to a pesticide after it is applied. This includes determining whether it breaks down, its persistence and mobility in soil and water, as well as effects on a range of non-target organisms.
Linking pesticide usage directly to changes in both managed and wild pollinator populations remains challenging because of the range of pressures which affect pollinators, such as habitat loss and climate change, in addition to the complexities of assessing and attributing pesticide usage and risk to impacts.
However, research suggests that the EU moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid) seed treatments on mass-flowering crops in 2013 was effective at reducing exposure of honeybees to these pesticides over the subsequent years.
We have funded research into the exposure of honeybees to pesticides, both over time and at national scale, through chemical analysis of pesticide residues found in honey samples. Using genetic techniques, such as DNA metabarcoding, this research can assess the plants foraged by exposed bees and highlight common pesticide exposure routes for this key pollinator species. We expect the results of this work to be published in the coming months.
We are also funding research exploring how we could further develop our monitoring to better understand the effects, and the impacts, of pesticides on pollinators, such as expanding residue assessments to include wild pollinator species of bumblebees and solitary bees.
Furthermore, Defra is developing a Pesticide Load Indicator which takes account of both the chemical properties of pesticides used and the weight applied. This uses pesticide usage data, ecotoxicity and environmental data to better understand how the pressure from pesticides on the environment, including bees, has changed over time. Much of this research will be published this year.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to investigate the impact of currently authorised pesticides on honey bees.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practises and upholds the highest standards of environmental and health protection. Our first priority is to ensure pesticides have no unacceptable effects on the environment and no harmful effects on human health.
The authorisation of pesticide products, including those containing neonicotinoid active substances, is based on a detailed and robust scientific risk assessment. This is carried out by the regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), using studies and information provided by the applicant to address the extensive data requirements. The regulatory process is constantly updated so that it advances with scientific knowledge, and pesticides are reviewed regularly to ensure that they meet the latest standards. HSE’s assessment includes consideration of what happens to a pesticide after it is applied. This includes determining whether it breaks down, its persistence and mobility in soil and water, as well as effects on a range of non-target organisms.
Linking pesticide usage directly to changes in both managed and wild pollinator populations remains challenging because of the range of pressures which affect pollinators, such as habitat loss and climate change, in addition to the complexities of assessing and attributing pesticide usage and risk to impacts.
However, research suggests that the EU moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid) seed treatments on mass-flowering crops in 2013 was effective at reducing exposure of honeybees to these pesticides over the subsequent years.
We have funded research into the exposure of honeybees to pesticides, both over time and at national scale, through chemical analysis of pesticide residues found in honey samples. Using genetic techniques, such as DNA metabarcoding, this research can assess the plants foraged by exposed bees and highlight common pesticide exposure routes for this key pollinator species. We expect the results of this work to be published in the coming months.
We are also funding research exploring how we could further develop our monitoring to better understand the effects, and the impacts, of pesticides on pollinators, such as expanding residue assessments to include wild pollinator species of bumblebees and solitary bees.
Furthermore, Defra is developing a Pesticide Load Indicator which takes account of both the chemical properties of pesticides used and the weight applied. This uses pesticide usage data, ecotoxicity and environmental data to better understand how the pressure from pesticides on the environment, including bees, has changed over time. Much of this research will be published this year.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness of the authorisation process for pesticides and (b) the effect of that matter on (i) honey bees and (ii) wild pollinators.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practises and upholds the highest standards of environmental and health protection. Our first priority is to ensure pesticides have no unacceptable effects on the environment and no harmful effects on human health.
The authorisation of pesticide products, including those containing neonicotinoid active substances, is based on a detailed and robust scientific risk assessment. This is carried out by the regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), using studies and information provided by the applicant to address the extensive data requirements. The regulatory process is constantly updated so that it advances with scientific knowledge, and pesticides are reviewed regularly to ensure that they meet the latest standards. HSE’s assessment includes consideration of what happens to a pesticide after it is applied. This includes determining whether it breaks down, its persistence and mobility in soil and water, as well as effects on a range of non-target organisms.
Linking pesticide usage directly to changes in both managed and wild pollinator populations remains challenging because of the range of pressures which affect pollinators, such as habitat loss and climate change, in addition to the complexities of assessing and attributing pesticide usage and risk to impacts.
However, research suggests that the EU moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid) seed treatments on mass-flowering crops in 2013 was effective at reducing exposure of honeybees to these pesticides over the subsequent years.
We have funded research into the exposure of honeybees to pesticides, both over time and at national scale, through chemical analysis of pesticide residues found in honey samples. Using genetic techniques, such as DNA metabarcoding, this research can assess the plants foraged by exposed bees and highlight common pesticide exposure routes for this key pollinator species. We expect the results of this work to be published in the coming months.
We are also funding research exploring how we could further develop our monitoring to better understand the effects, and the impacts, of pesticides on pollinators, such as expanding residue assessments to include wild pollinator species of bumblebees and solitary bees.
Furthermore, Defra is developing a Pesticide Load Indicator which takes account of both the chemical properties of pesticides used and the weight applied. This uses pesticide usage data, ecotoxicity and environmental data to better understand how the pressure from pesticides on the environment, including bees, has changed over time. Much of this research will be published this year.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of supporting further investment in the development of sustainable alternatives to neonicotinoids, in order to avoid their use in emergency authorisations in circumstances where diseases or pests cannot be controlled by other reasonable means.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Three neonicotinoids including the one covered by the sugar beet emergency authorisation, were banned by the EU in 2018, a decision the Government supported and so we have already moved decisively away from their use. British sugar is already developing alternative approaches to neonicotinoid seed treatments. It has stated that it may make applications for emergency authorisations for neonicotinoid seed treatments until 2023, by which time it intends to have developed alternative approaches. This includes the development of resistant plant varieties, measures to improve seed germination and new practices for growers.
Defra investment is not focused on the development of sustainable alternatives to specific pesticides such as neonicotinoids. The department has funded important research into other areas that will ensure pesticides can be used sustainably in the future.
We have funded research into the exposure of honeybees to pesticides, both over time and at national scale, through chemical analysis of pesticide residues found in honey samples. Using genetic techniques, such as DNA metabarcoding, this research can assess the plants foraged by exposed bees and highlight common pesticide exposure routes for this key pollinator species. We expect the results of this work to be published in the coming months.
We are also funding research exploring how we could further develop our monitoring to better understand the effects, and the impacts, of pesticides on pollinators, such as expanding residue assessments to include wild pollinator species of bumblebees and solitary bees.
Finally, in 2019 Defra commissioned the report 'Review of Evidence on Integrated Pest Management', which was published in 2020. This report assessed several themes including the effectiveness of IPM measures for reducing pesticide use, what combinations of IPM measures are most beneficial, and barriers and enablers to the uptake of IPM approaches. Research such as this will help Defra to meet its commitment to increase the uptake of Integrated Pest Management and sustainable crop protection, and therefore reduce any future reliance of emergency authorisation applications for neonicotinoids.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of neonicotinoid Cruiser SB on bee health.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Cruiser SB is a plant protection product containing the active substance thiamethoxam, which is a neonicotinoid insecticide. Approval for the outdoor use of the neonicotinoids clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam on any crops, including non-flowering crops such as sugar beet, has been completely withdrawn in the UK. These restrictions are justified by the growing weight of scientific evidence that neonicotinoids are harmful to bees and other pollinators.
Under GB pesticides legislation, emergency authorisations for the limited and controlled use of pesticides may be granted where the legal requirements are met, including that use of the pesticide appears necessary because of a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means. Defra granted an emergency authorisation for the limited use of Cruiser SB on the 2021 sugar beet crop to provide emergency protection against viruses that significantly impacted yields the previous year. Ultimately, Cruiser SB was not used on the 2021 crop as the conditions set by the Government as part of the emergency authorisation for the use of the product were not met.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the revised national action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides will recognise pollinator sustainability as a core principle.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra's indicator of the status of UK pollinating insects shows that overall distribution has declined since 1980, but with little change over the short term. Although not yet definitive, there are encouraging signs; for example the average distribution of wild bees has shown some stability over recent years. While indicators of the abundance of UK butterflies show long term declines since 1976, there has also been no significant change since 2015.
Of the 148 species of bee and 229 species of hoverfly in our pollinating insects indicator, over the long term, 19% of species became more widespread (7% showed a strong increase), and 49% became less widespread (24% showed a strong decrease). By contrast, over the short term, a greater proportion of species were increasing (46%, with 34% exhibiting a strong increase) than decreasing (43%, with 36% exhibiting a strong decrease).
The size of the honey bee population is dependent to a large extent on the numbers of beekeepers. Defra has performed an annual hive count since 2015 and the latest count, at the end of the 2020 season, indicated a total UK population of approximately 260,000 honey bee colonies. As the calculations rely on several assumptions, the hive count figure is termed an experimental statistic. Distribution of hives is determined by where beekeepers arrange to locate their apiaries. The National Bee Unit collates information on apiary location by county, for example, but no formal assessment of geographic distribution has been made.
In 2019, alongside academic partners, we published evidence statements on what is known about the status, values, drivers of change, and responses to management of UK insect pollinators. This concluded that the service of pollination, provided by wild and managed insects, is dependent on insect numbers, and can be improved by diverse pollinator communities, therefore it is possible that pollination services to crops and wild plants have declined in the long term.
The review also highlighted the biggest risk factors to UK pollinator species, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, pests and disease, climate change and risks from pesticide use. We continue to act on these issues while keeping other threats under review alongside our partners on the National Pollinator Strategy. For managed honey bees, current major risks are from endemic pests and disease, on which we act alongside our partners on the Healthy Bees Plan 2030.
Our 2019 review showed that historical declines in nectar resources across Great Britain have slowed since the 1970s. While they remain below 1930 levels, total potential nectar resources increased by 25% between 1998 to 2007. Our annual indicator of the extent and condition of priority habitats, many of which are crucial for supporting pollinators, shows that in 2021, almost 1.23 million hectares, or 65.6% of all priority habitats, were in a favourable or unfavourable recovering condition. We are taking a range of actions to improve this position and to restore and create further pollinator habitat.
For example, between 2014 and 2019, Natural England estimates that the area of farmland covered by agri-environment scheme options delivering food and fuel for pollinators increased by 30,000 hectares, largely driven by Countryside Stewardship's Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package, while pollinators also benefited from managing existing habitat such as protected sites or hedgerows.
We are also working with landowners, farmers and growers alongside conservation bodies, to facilitate pollinator-friendly environments outside agri-environment schemes, for example through Natural England's 'Back from the Brink' species recovery programme and most recently, our Green Recovery Challenge Fund, including Butterfly Conservation's project to restore habitats at 18 woodland sites in the Morecambe Bay area to promote the recovery of threatened butterfly species.
We are building on these measures and projects in the design of our new environmental land management schemes, which will enable many more farmers and land managers to take positive action for pollinators.
In urban spaces, managing public land such as parks or roadside verges for pollinators will be one way that authorities can discharge their biodiversity duty under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act, a duty which the Environment Act 2021 strengthens. We are working across Government on ways to support them, such as by providing guidance. Local planning authorities and other designated public authorities will also be required to produce regular Biodiversity Reports setting out the action they have taken, and these reports will provide a valuable source of good practice.
Research also shows that urban gardens are a significant source of nectar provision and can support substantial pollinator populations. We established and coordinate 'Bees' Needs Week', an annual event working alongside our many partners to raise awareness of the steps that everyone can take to protect pollinators in gardens, allotments, window boxes or other community spaces. We work with our partners to provide year-round guidance and to celebrate examples of best practice in schools, community groups and local authorities through our 'Bees' Needs Champions Awards'.
Pesticides are strictly regulated and only authorised pesticides can be used. Authorisation is only given if, among other requirements, there are expected to be no unacceptable effects on non-target species.
Linking pesticide usage directly to changes in wild bees and other pollinators remains challenging because of the range of pressures which affect pollinators, in addition to the complexities of assessing and attributing pesticide usage and risk to impacts.
We have funded research into the exposure of honeybees to pesticides through analysing pesticide residues in honey samples from across the country and using metabarcoding to understand how honeybees are exposed to these pesticides. We are also currently funding research looking at how we could develop our monitoring to better understand the effects of pesticides on pollinators, as well as routes of exposure.
The draft 'National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides' (NAP) sets out the key ambition to support the development and greater uptake of Integrated Pest Management to reduce pressures on biodiversity and the natural environment. It also set out the intention to improve indicators of pesticide usage, risk and impacts and to ensure those who use pesticides do so safely and sustainably. This includes working in line with the National Pollinator Strategy. The draft NAP was the subject of a public consultation.
The key risk posed by non-native pollinator species is from the non-native pest Asian hornet, whose diet includes honey bees and other pollinating insects. A pest risk assessment and contingency plan were developed as the spread of the species in parts of Europe became clear. Since 2016 there have been small numbers of confirmed UK sightings, and the National Bee Unit has delivered a successful response in each of these cases. There is no evidence to suggest that Asian hornet has become established in the UK.
There are also risks to managed honey bees from other non-native species such as Small hive beetle. Imports of honey bees into the UK are only accepted from approved countries and are subject to rules relating to notification and health certification to ensure that imports are free of key pests and diseases. Post-import checks, including follow-up inspections, are also carried out.
We continue to work within Defra and across Government to maintain and increase the understanding of pollinator species' health and needs through our collaborative work under the National Pollinator Strategy and the Healthy Bees Plan 2030, to integrate action for wild pollinators and managed honey bees across Government policy.