Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Bees: Thiamethoxam

Thursday 27 January 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The emergency authorisation of thiamethoxam was granted for sugar beet, a non-flowering crop with no direct risk to bees.
  • Strict conditions are imposed on the authorisation of thiamethoxam to mitigate soil contamination risks.
  • The economic impact of not using thiamethoxam on sugar beet production is considerable, and the sugar beet industry is important for the country.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Philip Hollobone Con
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The MP inquired about the potential impact of using pesticide thiamethoxam on bee populations following an emergency authorisation.

Question

What assessment he has made of the potential effect of his authorisation of the use of the pesticide thiamethoxam in certain circumstances on the bee population?

Answer from George Eustice

The emergency authorisation of thiamethoxam has been granted for sugar beet, which is a non-flowering crop so there is no direct risk to bees. However, due to the risk that thiamethoxam can stay in the soil for a period, we impose strict conditions on authorisation, including a requirement not to sow other flowering crops such as oilseed rape in the same field for at least 32 months.

Answered
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Q2 Philip Hollobone Con
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Residents in Kettering constituency are concerned about the balance between protecting bee populations and preventing aphid damage to sugar beets.

Question

Residents in the Kettering constituency want to see a larger and healthier bee population, but they do not want the England sugar beet crop destroyed by aphids. Will the Secretary of State outline the economic impact on sugar beet production if that pesticide is not used and what examination he has undertaken of alternative means of controlling aphids?

Answer from George Eustice

As part of our assessment of emergency authorisations, we consider the economic impact, and it is considerable. The sugar beet industry is an important crop for this country. As hon. Members will be aware, 12 other EU countries have also granted an emergency authorisation for sugar beet, so it is a common approach across Europe, but we have taken many steps to ensure that there is no risk to pollinators.

Partly answered

Not addressed: economic impact details and alternatives examination

How: Common Approach Across Europe

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