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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact on pollinators of the recent emergency authorisation of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

The decision to grant an emergency authorisation has not been taken lightly and is based on robust scientific evidence. 63% of the UK’s sugar comes from the domestic production of sugar beet, and the threat from yellows viruses this year is significant. Very strict conditions will minimise the risk to pollinators. Similar action has been taken by 12 other countries across Europe in recent years.