§ Mr. Nicholas Bakerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received representations about the price of sugar from commercial beekeepers consequent on United Kingdom membership of the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. FennerI have received a number of representations from professional and amateur beekeepers about the price of sugar for feeding to bees.
Under a three-year European Community programme of aid for beekeepers, aid was payable through recognised 120W associations of beekeepers which could be used for the purchase of feeding sugar or for more general projects of benefit to the longer term future of beekeeping. Since the scheme ended last year, European Community resources have been concentrated on further research into bee diseases. The Government support this form of assistance which is of more benefit to beekeeping as a whole than the provision of sugar at concessionary prices to individual beekeepers.