§ 5. Mr. Christopher Chope (Christchurch)If she will make a statement about measures to prevent the spread of bee diseases. [13067]
§ The Minister for Rural Affairs (Alun Michael)The Department takes very seriously the threat to honeybees from pests and diseases and funds a range of measures to protect bee health, costing around £1.3 million annually. Under those measures, the National Bee Unit, part of the Central Science Laboratory, provides a free diagnostic and inspection service to the beekeeping sector as well as training and education to help beekeepers become more self-reliant through improved bee husbandry.
§ Mr. ChopeI thank the Minister for that reply. Does he agree that beekeepers are the unsung heroes of British farming, because they operate without subsidy and in a spirit of enterprise, like the bees they look after? Will he 969 acknowledge the important role played by the beekeepers' insurance company in the fight against foulbrood, and will he acknowledge that that company, which has a premium income of less than £20,000 a year, is being severely crippled by Government regulation and red tape? Will he instruct Departments to let that company operate without the burden of the regulatory drones of Government?
§ Alun MichaelThe hon. Gentleman has clearly been working for a fortnight on that supplementary question, but I am not sure that it qualifies for an award for humour. I am happy to pay tribute to those who work in the beekeeping industry. It should be acknowledged—and the hon. Gentleman might be generous enough to do so himself—that the Government do a great deal to support the industry. For instance, we assist the sector in dealing with health issues—varroa is a particular challenge—through programmes that cost about £1.6 million in 2001–02. The Government recognise and support the industry.