§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of pesticide use on the United Kingdom's bee population; and if she will make a statement. [161483]
§ Alun MichaelPesticides are approved on the basis that they will present minimal risk to non-target species, including bees.
Any suspected pesticide poisonings of bees are investigated through Defra's Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WHS). This includes field inquiries, disease assessment of the bees submitted and residue analyses. Results are reported back to the regulatory authorities (the Pesticides Safety Directorate and the Health and Safety Executive) to inform the pesticide approval process.
Annual reports of bee incidents are included in reports of the Environmental Panel of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides entitled "Pesticide Poisoning of animals; investigations of suspected incidents in the United Kingdom". Copies of the latest report of investigations in 2002 are available in the House Library.