VANISHING OF THE BEES FILM

That this House supports the film Vanishing of the Bees distributed by the Co-operative and publicising the dangers facing a £10 billion industry and a key species; further supports the Co-operative's Plan Bee campaign to raise awareness of the dramatic demise of bees and the various disorders and diseases threatening honeybee hives; notes that although in the UK bees contribute £165 million a year to the economy, this is only a small part of their contribution to sustaining the country's way of life and the way the planet functions, including their crucial role in pollinating some 90 commercial crops worldwide; further notes that the British Beekeepers' Association survey revealed that 30 per cent. of the UK's 240,000 honeybee hives were lost in the winter and spring of 2008 compared to normal yearly losses of around five to 10 per cent.; welcomes the Co-operative's pledge of £150,000 for research into the causes behind the decline of the honeybee and its 10-point plan on prohibiting the use of a group of eight pesticides on own-brand fresh produce, trialling a wildflower seed mix to attract honeybees and raising awareness of the plight of the UK honeybee; welcomes the Government's efforts to tackle the problems; and calls on the Government to redouble those efforts.