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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the affect of pesticides on trends in the number of insects dying in the UK.

Insects are an essential part of our environment and pollinating insects play a crucial role in food production. Government research has shown that a major pressure on pollinating insects has been the loss of flower-rich habitats but there are several other threats, which are likely to interact, including climate change, land use intensification, invasive species, disease and inappropriate pesticide use.

The Government has not made a direct assessment of the impact of pesticides on other insect populations. We ensure that the use of pesticides is only authorised where detailed scientific assessment finds that this will not harm people or have unacceptable effects on the environment (including on insects). The UK supports the current restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides that were put in place in 2018 to protect pollinating insects. We will maintain these restrictions unless the scientific evidence changes.

Since 2014, the Government has been working with a range of partners on the National Pollinator Strategy to address the various threats and help pollinators to thrive. There is strong scientific evidence that by increasing habitat for insects, we support long-term population increases and we are working to that end with farmers, businesses and conservation organisations.