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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the efficiency of the reporting protocols for non-statutory notifiable pests in alerting beekeepers to their presence.

Our efforts are currently focused on the reporting of statutory bee pests and diseases such as the small hive beetle and European and American foulbrood. Details of outbreaks are provided on our online advice portal BeeBase, available for all registered beekeepers to see. Beekeepers within 3km of an outbreak are notified by email. Current levels of foulbrood across the country are at very low levels testifying to the success of this approach.

We support beekeepers against non-notiable pests and diseases such as Varroa through our extensive training and inspection programme and through BeeBase. Guidance is provided on how to identify and manage their impacts ensuring healthier and more productive colonies. We do not currently notify beekeepers of local findings of these pests.