§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures Her Majesty's Government have adopted to(a) investigate the causes of varroa jacobsoni, (b) combat the spread of the disease and (c) compensate those bee keepers whose livelihood has been affected as a result of the disease; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Curry(a) We have established from extensive investigations of infected premises that the mite, varroa jacobsoni is likely to have been in the United Kingdom for four to five years. The cause is most likely to have been an illegal importation of bees from an infected area.
(b) Following the discovery of varroasis in the United Kingdom on 5 April controls were put in place to minimise the spread of the disease and an extensive survey of apiaries carried out to check the extent of the infestation. An infected area has been declared and movement into and out of that area is prohibited except under licence. Inspection and sampling outside the infexted area revealed no evidence of the varroa mite. We are aware, however, that the mite is difficult to detect in the early stages of 806W infestation. We are, therefore, continuing to keep the situation under close review and are prepared to amend the infected area if the disease is found outside its boundaries. The approval of veterinary medicines for the control of varroasis is being expedited and I hope that a licensed product will be available very shortly.
(c) It is not Government policy to offer compensation to bee keepers.