§ Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will instigate further research on the damage to cereals by aphids and to the damage, if any, to wildlife (particularly insects such as bees and ladybirds) by insecticides now in use.
§ Lord STRABOLGIStaff of the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Agricultural Research Council have been collaborating for many years on a full research programme covering several aspects of the biology of cereal aphids and means of control or prevention of the damage they cause. The work (including some undertaken by the Game Conservancy and supported by the ARC) also covers studies of important predators and parasites of the aphids. No increase in the research programme is contemplated.