Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about pollinators, pesticides and the Environment Bill.

I believe we need proper measures to protect our pollinators and I supported the Lords amendment to the Bill.

There are a myriad of pollinators in the insect world whose contributions to natural diversity can too easily be overlooked.

Since 1900, Britain has lost 13 of 35 native bee species, and we risk losing more if we do not act to protect them, particularly from bee-killing and bee-harming pesticides. They are essential to the future of our planet, to pollinating our crops and to the rich tapestry of biodiversity we have.

The amendment to the Environment Bill by the House of Lords would have required assessments of the long-term effects of pesticides on bees and other wild pollinators. I would like to see the chemical approval system become more transparent and environmentally friendly.

In my view, it is amazing that the impact of pesticides on pollinators is not already assessed before approvals are given. We must ensure our farmers can protect their crops, by providing better support for the sector and by accelerating the introduction of blight-resistant crops, but we need to protect our pollinators at the same time. I am disappointed the Government believes its existing regulations strike the right balance and that it voted down the amendment, removing it from the Bill.

The Government has stated it will publish a final revised national action plan later this year on the sustainable use of pesticides and their impact on the natural environment. I will follow developments on this closely.

As you may know, neonicotinoid pesticides were banned across the EU in 2018 due to their harmful impact on bees and pollinators. The Government committed to maintaining these restrictions post-Brexit.

Earlier this year it authorised an exemption to treat sugar beet in England in 2021. I supported an amendment to the Environment Bill in January that would have prevented this by ensuring greater parliamentary scrutiny of exemptions. Unfortunately, the Government voted it down. Ultimately the pesticide was not needed this year and was not used.

Thank you once again for contacting me. I can assure you I will continue to call for science-led action that safeguards our future biodiversity.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP