Rt Hon Nick Brown Rt Hon Nick Brown
Many constituents have written to me highlighting the importance of bees and pollinators. I joined my Labour colleagues in urging the Government to reverse the decision to authorise the use of damaging neonicotinoid pesticides, banned by the EU. I am glad they listened and U-turned on this. However, there has been ‘emergency authorisation’ for use of clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam on sugar beet. I recognise the difficulties faced by sugar beet farmers with issues such as crop blight. However, removing the ban on neonicotinoids is not the answer to these difficulties and should not be considered again in future. A better, more bee-friendly route would be improved sectoral support, allowances for crop loss, and expediting the introduction of blight-resistant crops