Viscount Ridley
Main Page: Viscount Ridley (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
My Lords, the background to and reason for the restrictions on the three neonicotinoids is precisely because of the risk assessment that was made about bees. Obviously the EU, after two years, is bringing together all the scientific evidence available so that the issue can be looked at in a thorough manner.
Viscount Ridley (Con)
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that since neonicotinoids were introduced honey-bee numbers have gone up, not down?
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
My Lords, I do not have the exact figures. While neonicotinoids are extremely effective in dealing with plants, they are considered much more toxic to insects than to humans and mammals. This is why the decision was made and the UK decided to go along with it, and why it is now being reviewed.