Written question asked by Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 August 2025. It was answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour) on Thursday, 31 July 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Bees: Imports

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that queen honeybees imported into Great Britain via Northern Ireland are free from pests and diseases, in particular the small hive beetle.

Answer: All consignments of honey bee queens imported into Northern Ireland (NI) must be accompanied by health certificates confirming that the area the bees originated from is free of certain pests, including small hive beetle, and diseases. The health certificate must be issued no more than 24 hours prior to dispatch and the certifying officer must also confirm that a pre-export inspection took place. Imports into NI are cleared by NI officials.

Secondary information