Steve Brine MP highlighted the concerns of hundreds of constituents in a short Parliamentary debate about bee health on Tuesday 26th March.
The Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP used a special Westminster Hall debate to question why the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Owen Paterson, abstained in a crucial European vote on the use of pesticides.
Mr Brine told MPs he had received a huge amount of correspondence from constituents and local beekeepers, concerned about falling numbers in the bee population countrywide. He cited Hugh Sykes, who is the chairman of the Winchester and District Beekeepers Association, as one of many concerned about the use of pesticides known as 'neonicotinoids' and their effect on the bee population. The issue was the subject of a recent EU vote among agricultural Ministers.
Steve says: "This subject has been lively in my postbag for some time now and I passionately share the concern because there is clearly something greatly affecting the bee population in this country that has grave consequences for us all if not tackled. The use of neonicotinoids seems like an open and shut case but, as the Minister made clear to us in the debate, their eradication without the science to back it up could lead to far more harmful alternatives being used. It's frustrating because we clearly need action but we need an evidence-based strategic response from Government and we have to recognise there is sadly no single solution because this is a complex problem.
"I will continue to press Ministers on the issue and would urge constituents interested in the subject to visit my dedicated web-page where they can read the debate in full, including the response of DEFRA Minister David Heath MP."
More information ...
Read the debate via Hansard – here
Watch the debate via Parliament TV – here (forward to 1hr 30m)