Neonicotinoids on Crops

Neil Carmichael Excerpts
Monday 7th December 2015

(8 years, 11 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Daniel Zeichner Portrait Daniel Zeichner
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My hon. Friend makes a very good point. These issues are complex, and we are trying to balance the various risks. The Government said that they will listen to the scientific evidence to inform any changes to their position, but despite the strong evidence they still seem to be sticking their fingers in their ears. Since the EU restrictions were introduced two years ago, many peer-reviewed studies have been carried out in lab and real-world settings that underline how damaging such chemicals are for bees.

Neil Carmichael Portrait Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)
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I just want to fly in on this debate with the observation that the Environmental Audit Committee published a powerful report in the previous Parliament on this very issue. The new Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee is here—or at least he was. That report is well worth reading.