Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 17 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 July 2025. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Wednesday, 23 July 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Hornets: Pest Control

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any dedicated Asian hornet rapid response teams have been (a) disbanded and (b) downsized since 2023.

Answer: The response to Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) also known as Asian hornet is carried out by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) National Bee Unit (NBU). The NBU do this as part of the overall programme of work that they deliver for Defra from the funding allocated to APHA. The NBU has been taking action against YLH since 2016 and has developed a fine-tuned effective response. They frequently find a nest within a day of an initial sighting being reported. Therefore, Defra has not established dedicated Asian hornet rapid response teams.

Secondary information