Select Committee · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Insect decline and UK food security

Status: Closed Opened: 20 Mar 2023 Closed: 28 May 2024 20 recommendations 14 conclusions 1 report

Insect numbers are difficult to quantify however recent research suggests that in the UK flying insects have declined by 60% in the past 20 years. Insects provide pivotal roles for UK food security including pollination and pest or weed regulation. There are also concerns that pest species may be increasing with negative impacts on crop …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Insect decline and UK food security HC 326 7 Mar 2024 34 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
10 Recommendation Second Report - Insect decline and UK f… Rejected

Expand National Bee Unit remit to focus on wild bee health and hive impact guidance.

Defra should expand the remit of the National Bee Unit, to include a focus on wild bee health. This should include both developing internal expertise and fostering collaboration with entomology experts and producing biennial reports, as part of the National Pollinator Strategy update previously recommended in this report. The Unit …

Government response. The government rejects expanding the National Bee Unit's remit to include wild bee health, stating it would require significant legislative changes as the NBU's statutory role is specific to honey bee diseases. However, it notes that the NBU published a …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
24 Recommendation Second Report - Insect decline and UK f… Rejected

Revise Red List and indicators to include more invertebrate species and publish a Baseline List.

Revised versions of Natural England’s ‘Red List’ and the ‘biodiversity indicators’ used to measure changes in abundance should include a minimum of one species per family, which would result in a significant increase in invertebrate representation. In response to this report, the Government should set out what steps it is …

Government response. Defra acknowledges the recommendation but rejects the proposal to include a minimum of one species per family in biodiversity indicators as unachievable due to data limitations, and deems a new parallel 'Baseline List' inadvisable due to unreliable data, while continuing …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
28 Recommendation Second Report - Insect decline and UK f… Rejected

Publish National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use no later than May 2024.

We echo the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee’s recommendation that the Government should publish the National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use no later than May 2024.

Government response. The government states it is working on publishing the National Action Plan but implicitly rejects the May 2024 deadline, citing the wide-ranging and complex nature of the work and extensive consultation responses as reasons for the delay, while highlighting other …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
29 Nov 2023 Dr Rachel Irving · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, John Holmes · Natural England, Rebecca Pow · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
18 Oct 2023 Henry Edmunds · Cholderton Estate, Minette Batters · National Farmers Union (NFU), Professor Linda Field · Rothamsted Research, Professor Toby Bruce · Keele University, Vicki Hird · Sustain View ↗
12 Jul 2023 Chris Packham CBE, Craig Bennett · Wildlife Trusts, Matt Shardlow · Buglife, Professor Alistair Griffiths · Royal Horticultural Society, Professor Lynn Dicks · University of Cambridge View ↗
7 Jun 2023 Dr Claire Carvell · UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Dr Erica McAlister · Natural History Museum, Dr James Bell · Rothamsted Insect Survey, Rothamsted Research, Professor Dave Goulson · University of Sussex, Professor Phil Stevenson · Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Professor Simon Potts · Centre for Agri-environmental Research, University of Reading, Professor William Kunin · University of Leeds View ↗