Honeybees (Hansard, 10 February 1999)

HC Deb 10 February 1999 vol 325 c286W 286W

§ Mr. Letwin
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the import of honeybees of the Italian sub-species, apis mellifera ligustica. [69488]

§ Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: No. Apis mellifera ligustica is one of the most successful and commonly used honey bee strains in the commercial honey producing world. Since 1955, and probably earlier, thousands of consignments of ligustica have been imported by beekeepers into the UK each year.