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Written question asked by Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 7 September 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 September 2015. It was answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Conservative) on Tuesday, 15 September 2015 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Oilseed Rape: Neonicotinoids

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent field trials of rape seed treated with neonicotinoids and the impact of neonicotinoids on bumblebee populations.

Answer

The Commission has begun a review of the science relating to neonicotinoids and bees. This will include effects on bees from seed treatment and granule uses of the restricted neonicotinoids on any crop. The Government will contribute fully to this review and will base its view on future regulation of neonicotinoids on all the available scientific evidence. We are aware that there have been a number of new studies since 2013. Initial results from a large field trial being carried out by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to look at honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees are expected later this year.

The UK Expert Committee on Pesticides has the task of advising Ministers on issues relating to the authorisation of pesticides. It considered recent research on neonicotinoids and pollinators, including the recent report by Rundlöf et al, at its May 2015 meeting. The detailed record of the meeting states that the Committee “agreed that this was a complex and evolving issue that required careful judgement, based on a weight of evidence approach”. The Committee agreed to come back to the issue regularly at future meetings.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1850
Session
2015-16
Subjects
Oilseed rape Bees Neonicotinoids
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk