The Earl of Haddingtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans or provisions they have made, or intend to make, for the introduction of a compensation scheme for beekeepers whose apiaries have been subject to attack from the varroa mite. [HL2185]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)The Government take the threat to beekeeping from varroa very seriously and, this year, are spending around £1.5 million on a range of measures to tackle this problem. The emphasis is on training and education to help beekeepers become more self-reliant. We consider this to be the best use of the available resources.