Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Monday, 19 May 2008.

Bees

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have assessed the non-financial costs to the environment of the total or partial loss of the honey bee population in the United Kingdom.

Answer: Pollination contributes to propagation of biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems and it is recognised as a key ecosystem service that is threatened globally. Although there are other pollinators, many flowers have evolved completely dependent on pollination by bees. There are also complex interactions between managed honey bees and wild pollinators; there have been concerns about removing managed bees from nature reserves because of their impact on wild pollinators. A European Union 6th Framework Project, ““Alarm””, which includes several UK participants, has been running since 2004 and is due to complete in 2009. It focuses on ecosystem services and the relationship between society, economy and biodiversity; it will include an assessment of risks associated with loss of pollinators.

Secondary information