Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the non-financial regulatory constraints are on research on the potential of insects as a sustainable source of livestock feed; and what steps her Department is taking to encourage such research.

Research on the potential use of insects in livestock feed is permitted under the provisions of the EU Animal by-Products Regulations 1069/2009 which require registration of operators by competent authorities under conditions which control risks to public and animal health. The Food and Environmental Research Agency of Defra is currently leading research on the use of insects as a protein source for livestock in the UK.