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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to support bees and pollinators.

Taking action to support pollinators is a key part of my priorities to improve the natural environment and grow the rural economy.

Bees and other insect pollinators are vital to the diversity of our environment. They play an essential role in contributing to our £100bn food industry and are worth £400m to the economy. They face many threats and some species are in decline.

This is why we have published the National Pollinator Strategy on 4th November, a 10 year plan to build solid foundations to bring about the best possible conditions for pollinators to flourish.

The Government is committed to taking action to support pollinators across all types of land across our country, enhancing the response to pest and disease risks, and to improving our evidence base.