 Order of the next item of business today is the member's business debate on motion number 10368 in the name of Angus MacDonald on Scotland's pollinator population. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I would be grateful to those members who wish to speak in this debate. I could press the request to speak buttons now please. I call on Angus MacDonald to open the debate. Up to seven minutes, please, Mr MacDonald. I'm delighted to bring this debate to the chamber this afternoon, acknowledging the importance of pollinator species to the agricultural and horticultural industries of Scotland. I'd like to thank all the members who signed my motion and who support the cause, and also those who have stayed back to contribute to the debate. It's all very hectic at the moment, so your time is appreciated. I note also that sadly the cabinet secretary and the minister have been called away on other business. However, I'm pleased to see Minister Roseanna Cunningham standing in, as I know that she's taken a keen interest in the issue in the past in her previous life as an environment minister. As a member of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee, I've become increasingly aware of the challenges that Scotland's pollinators face. At this point, I can thank Craig Macadam of the Invertebrate Conservation Trust bug life and Dr Maggie Keegan of the Scottish Wildlife Trust for their help and advice on this subject, which is more complex the more you investigate it. Bug life actively works to conserve the 40,000 invertebrate species in the UK, many of which are under threat as now or before. Invertebrates from bees to beetles are vitally important to our planet and precious ecosystem. They underpin life on earth and are therefore pivotal for our own survival. Insight pollinated crops rely on invertebrates to carry pollen from one flare to the other, which produces crops for many fruits, nuts and seeds. Bug life estimates that 84 per cent of EU crops rely on insect pollination. To put it into perspective, it is estimated that every third mouthful of food consumed could be linked to pollination by bees. Furthermore, insect pollinated fruits and vegetables grown in Scotland contribute significantly to our economy as well as our ecosystem. For example, the output value of vegetables in 2012 was valued at £102 million and fruits at £62 million. In addition, pollination provided to wildflowers and garden ornamentals make insect pollinators a vital component of our great biodiversity here in Scotland. Without pollinators, we could see a depletion of the foods we grow and the beauty we see in our wider countryside. Pollinator insects therefore ensure food security and the continuation of biodiversity across Scotland. However, the fragility of pollinator populations means that, if they are not cared for, they are easily damaged, diminished or dysfunctional. For that reason, the decline in recent years of pollinator insects is not easily determined by a single driving force but is caused by a multiplicity of factors, including environmental pressures, pests and diseases, such as reduction in wildflowers, the intensification of land use, fertilisation and harmful pesticides. When it comes to harmful pesticides, I unfortunately know a bit about that. Having used the organic phosphate pesticide Carbofurin on my father's farm in the Western Isles when I was younger, without proper protection and have paid the price health-wise, Carbofurin has long since been banned but it is still used illegally to kill birds of prey. However, it is neonicotinoids that seem to have the major impact on bees. It is encouraging that a two-year ban has been imposed by the EU on neonics. However, ideally, a permanent ban in Scotland would, it has argued, help pollinators such as bees recover. Although, as the NFUS has highlighted in its briefing, any ban should be based on realistic field-based research. Over the last 50 years, declines have been noted in many pollinator insects and wildflowers across our countryside. Sustainability of the ecosystem therefore depends on maintaining pollinator populations and their habitats, which is why the EU's integrated pest management directive is so important. If we want our future generations to live in a Scotland buzzing with vitality rich in foods and flowers, we must act now to preserve our landscapes and save our precious pollinators from extinction. In their manifesto, get Britain buzzing, bug life have outlined seven key principles that can guide our battle in rescuing our valued ecosystem and 27 actions that can arrest the alarming decline of the pollinator population. Principally, all pollinators should be valued for the service that they provide to Scotland. They should also be properly monitored and understood with a commitment to conserve and incorporate them in our green infrastructure. Unfortunately, I do not have time to list all the principles and actions that bug life are calling for, but I would commend their get Britain buzzing manifesto to you. If you would like to contact me, I can provide you with a copy. Good work has already been done, however. I must congratulate the Government on the excellent work that we have done so far in undertaking initiatives to halt bees' decline over the last few years. The Scottish Government project, for example, is investing up to £10 million in research to help to identify the main threats to bees and other insect pollinators in 2009. Government-backed agri environment scheme is offering payments to farmers to help them to maintain flower-rich areas for bees and other wildlife. It has also been an encouraging step forward in sustaining our pollinator habitat. Recently, in June this year, the Scottish Parliament welcomed a new buzz to this busy and hectic environment by installing two beehives on the site, demonstrating the very real and practical way that the Scottish Parliament and Government have been committed to the nation's environment. I am sure that other speakers will touch on our very own Parliament bees during the debate. No, no, I am not asking you to do it personally. Although previous actions taken are commendable, we must do more to address this very serious issue. I feel that the Government actions prescribed must be made in conjunction with our responsibility for local government, for example, to also facilitate initiatives in their own local authority areas that preserve Scottish wildlife and conserve our pollinator population. As MSP Ffalkirk East, I have seen at first hand in my constituency great work that can be undertaken by communities. The Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre is a fantastic example of how wildlife can be preserved. What is unique about the centre is that it is an urban green space that is created from wasteland in the middle of industrial grange mess. My constituents and NGOs have done an excellent job of constructing a reserve that both facilitates pollinator populations and encourages the community to invest in sustaining the pollinator habitat. Providing both educational and community resources, the Jupiter Wildlife Centre is an invaluable hub that we hope to see replicated in many other parts of Scotland. I can add that I very much look forward to visiting the Jupiter Wildlife Centre tomorrow morning to officially open, along with local school children, the upgraded wildlife gardens at Jupiter. I encourage all my fellow MSPs to add their support to the bug life cause. Collapses in pollinator populations in China and parts of the United States have had big and visible impacts on their ecosystems and economies, but Scotland could lead the way in conservation and sustaining pollinators if we choose to act now and refuse to let the species struggle to survive. Our rich, beautiful and vast countryside and vegetation depends on us to actively work to protect it. I therefore hope that all stakeholders, including scientists, farmers, regulators, beekeepers and environmental NGOs, can all work together to ensure that Scottish farming and bees can co-exist and have a sustainable future. I have a number of requests to speak. If members could keep to their four minutes, I will try to call everyone. I call Alison Johnstone to be followed by Claudia Beamish. I am delighted that the Parliament can still find time this week to discuss issues other than the referendum, because yes or no, we still all need to eat. Securing the health of our pollinator population is at the foundation of our agriculture. The stark stats from the bug life briefing tell us that 84 per cent of EU crops rely on insect pollinators. Sometimes we can suffer from a focus on direct economic gain in this area, and we must widen that. Many of the efforts that I have seen after the health of bees end up with a real focus on honey bees. Honey bees in the bee keeping honey producing economy is important, but we must not be tricked into thinking that keeping the honey bees healthy means that we will be keeping our pollinator population at large healthy. The majority of pollination is by wild pollinators such as bumble bees, or the 250 other species of bee in the UK, flies, moths, wasps, beetles and butterflies. Many of our pollinators are in crisis, and that is no surprise when they have lost so much natural habitat in the past 60 years, including 97 per cent of wildflower meadows. Pollination is one of those processes that is largely hidden from the public consciousness. The insects just get on with it, and we enjoy the fruits, flowers and food of their labour. However, if we lose our pollinators, we might lose many of the plants that pollinate and the animals that rely on those plants. The impact on the food chain would make sustaining the global human population massively challenging. The campaign over the past few years to ban neonicotinoids, a highly damaging class of neurotoxins, was heartening but also infuriating. Millions of people joined organisations such as the Scottish Wildlife Trust and others to protect our pollinators after scientific evidence showed the effect that nerve agents were having on pollinators. The EU has put in place a temporary two-year ban for three of the most damaging insecticides. However, the big pesticide companies such as Biocrop Sciences and Syngenta are continuing in cynical attempts to pursue short-time profit at the expense of the health of the agricultural economy and our own health. The precautionary principle states that, where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. As friends of the earth say, our pollinators are under serious assault from pesticides and intensive farming. We do not know what will happen after the two-year ban is up, but I urge the cabinet secretary, along with my colleague Angus MacDonald, to continue with the ban currently in place. I would also welcome a response from the Government to the bug life pollinator manifesto, and I would like to know what steps the Government will take to ensure that the planning process helps to create and manage a network of pollinator habitats. I am pleased to be able to take part in the debate on Scotland's pollinator population. I would particularly like to thank Angus MacDonald for being able to secure the debate, and, as the member said, it does depend on us. I would also like to thank SWT and Buglife for their work in the gallery today. I declare an interest as a species champion for the Forrester Moth, which is obviously one of the many pollinators that we have in Scotland, which I visited the habitat of earlier this summer. Like many environmental causes that come before the Scottish Parliament, protecting biodiversity, specifically in this case pollinators, is something that enjoys, in my view, broad cross-party support and has certainly been very important to our committee, rural affairs and climate change and environment. I believe that that has allowed us to move forward in some sense and address the concerning decline of pollinator numbers being highlighted today. Indeed, the Scottish Parliament, as Angus MacDonald has said, has taken steps in our own backyard, as it might be called, to promote the importance of pollinators with the new beehives. In my own region of South Scotland, as there are in other parts of Scotland, there are a number of examples of reserves that play an important role in conserving pollinator populations. Faws of Clyde, Gary and Gill and Upper Nethan Gorge all contain essential grassland areas that host many of Scotland's most productive pollinators, including various species of bees and butterflies and moths. Those sorts of pollinator-friendly environments should act as prime examples of what communities and farmers can do to preserve pollinator numbers and improve biodiversity in general. It also is happening in urban environments, as we have heard about the Jupiter project from Angus MacDonald. We can all make a difference individually and, as MSPs, we can encourage our constituents to do so by planting in gardens whatever size and even in window boxes. Of course, we are all aware of the huge contribution that pollinators make in Scotland as a whole, and these insects play a central role in crop production, as Alison has already said, contributing roughly £43 million to the economy, as well as helping Scotland's rich ecosystems to flourish. However, as Angus MacDonald's motion for this debate has pointed out, this vital role is being put in danger. At the moment, there is a decrease of as much as 65 per cent in recent decades of pollinators, and I am sure that members will agree that it is something that we all have a responsibility to do something about. A large factor is, of course, the overuse of pesticides. Scottish Wildlife Trust especially has been campaigning for a moratorium on neonics so that the evidence base regarding the impact can be built up. This view has been taken on board, as we have heard by the EU, which has recently imposed the two-year ban, but only on three types of neonicotinoid. Of course, pesticides are used for a reason, but it is important that they are used in a sustainable manner, and only when required rather than applying them to seeds before they are even planted. We must identify alternative methods of protecting crops from pests, including the integrated pest management plan, which is now an obligation on EU member states. Perhaps the minister will provide us with some details of how the obligation is being addressed by the Scottish Government. If there are plans to have a ban in Scotland on neonicotinoids because we risk the ban only being temporary in the EU after 2015, it would be very helpful if the minister could let us know what research is on-going at the moment in Scotland. We have heard from Angus MacDonald about research that the Scottish Government has already been doing. The minister will be aware that Scottish Wildlife Trust has made suggestions of how to protect pollinators within the common agricultural policy, including providing funds for farmers to provide ecosystem services, and those suggestions merit further consideration, I believe. I hope that this debate will continue to draw attention to the importance of pollinators and the contribution that they make to our economy, but the vibrant and wonderful colours and types that there are in Scotland, and I believe that we must all contribute to making the situation better for their habitats. Thank you very much. I now call Christine Grahame to be followed by Jamie McGregor. I congratulate the member on securing this debate. I remembered his previous member's debate was on potatoes. This is on pollinators. He can move off the letter B and move on to something else. I will touch on the Parliament bees, not physically, of course. I have found out that the much-praised bees in our own hive-seerick Parliament are buckfast bees, which were known for their calm temperament and productivity—perhaps not attributes associated with their political neighbours in the building. It is, of course, an unfortunate name, perhaps but linked to their breeding history and, in no way, predicates the taste of their honey, perhaps regrettably. By the way, they might not remain so friendly. I understand that, if they are within three miles of other bees, they will subsequently mate with a different species being somewhat promiscuous and that some beekeepers recommend that the queen—not HRH—but that the queen bee is changed every year. Here I am launching a plea and a criticism at one and the same time. The big question is why, in the Scottish Parliament, where the hive is not populated by the indigenous and under threat Scottish black bee, which I am advised has wrongly been labelled aggressive—not all things Scottish are aggressive. However, I have a proverbial—wait for it—bee in my bonnet about this, as the minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs know, because I have corresponded on this for some time on behalf of apyrus in my constituency and, in particular, Joyce Jack of Peebles, secretary of the new battle bees association, my unofficial tutor in all things bee connected, who alerted me and educated me on the threat to this indigenous species from imports. Mrs Jack may be in the gallery today, so I must be particularly careful with my facts. As in blackadder, my beekeepers have a cunning plan and a good one at that, especially after the decimation of hives a few years back through bad winters and springs and the plan. It was to provide local beekeepers, after training, to increase the Scottish black bee population through breeding queens. That can be done—we learn something every day—by artificial insemination, though I think from correspondence with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Blockhead, it is more coyly referred to as artificial instrumentation. It is done in other countries and, though it takes time, it is very cost effective. I recognise the black bee project and call-and-see, which is to be welcomed, but it needs to stop there. I hope that the Scottish Government will again consider the proposal from individual beekeepers. In the meantime, apart from the requirement to ensure that imported bees do not import viruses, councils and the public can be encouraged to plant species with bee-friendly wild flowers and cultivars, such—I am a gardener—as the bud lia and the sedum, to assist not just the honey and bumble bees but, of course, the insect population at large. Honey is not the only product, of course. My tomato flowers are pollinated by the bees and insects and give me fresh and tasty tomatoes. The bird life in my garden thrives on the supply of fresh insect protein. Finally—I am going to mention the referendum—once the bud fast bees have outlived their stay or migrated, as they may to form another hive, can we give the Scottish black bee a chance September 19th will do as a patriotic gesture? In every language under the sun and by every generation since time began, the importance of birds and bees has been emphasised and it has been echoed by poets, including Robbie Burns, because they are the things that keep our humanity and our world going. The role of pollinators to the economy and environment is vital and makes the decline of a broad variety of pollinators a matter of huge concern. I would like to congratulate Angus MacDonald on bringing such an important topic to the Parliament. I am proud to declare that I am a species champion for the March fertility butterfly that unfortunately has been declining for the past 150 years due to loss of habitat and parasites. This is only one of many examples of pollinators whose existence is under severe threat. Pollinators such as honeybees and bumblebees play a key role in the majority of ecosystems, and they are essential for parts of our agricultural economy. The food and agriculture organisations of the United Nations estimate that out of 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of all the food worldwide, 71, are animal pollinated. The number for Europe is even higher at 84 per cent, valued at £12.6 billion per year. The production value of pollinator-dependent crops is roughly five times higher than those crops that are not dependent on insects. That only shows our reliance on pollinators, thus making the decline of these species a matter of huge concern. Government should have a plan B. Although it is hard to accurately determine the precise economic benefit that the pollinators provide, they have a very significant impact. Their role in commercial production of soft fruits, such as raspberries and blackberries, as well as aisle-seed rape—to mention just a few—cannot be underestimated. The trend in Scotland, unfortunately, is clear. The abundance of pollinators has gradually declined over the past 50 years. That has been especially in the case of bumblebees. Bumblebees are the only pollinator of potato flowers in the world. Scotland's potato crop is estimated to be worth £160 million, and the decline of a staggering 60 per cent in the abundance of bumblebees must be very concerning for us. Other reasons for the decline involve the destruction and fragmentation of natural habitat. The EU demands that all farmers set aside 5 per cent of their land for greening, which falls under the first pillar of the common agricultural policy. It is important that a compromise is found that ensures that there is enough natural habitat for our pollinators, not only to survive but to flourish, whilst ensuring the sustainability and successes of our agricultural production. The sources of decline are many and diverse, as well as differing between the different species of pollinators. Other invasive species, such as parasitic mites, are in themselves a major threat to apiculture, but also spread a number of diseases. This has decimated honey bee colonies across the world. Ranging from the Middle East and Japan to Europe and the US were up to 85 per cent of colonies have been wiped out due to mites for diseases spread by them. It is important to find the balance between the environmental and the commercial interests, but it is clear that we must take urgent action to avoid what spread environmental and economic implications. We must take heed of this warning, which is like the canary in the coal mine. On a note of perhaps slight optimism, my local pharmacist told me that there has been an explosion of stings by bees and wasps this summer. Remember, if you get stung, be thankful for small mercies and also small things. I would like to conclude with a quote from the United Nations Environment Programme. The health and wellbeing of pollinating insects are crucial to life, be it in sustaining natural habitats or contributing to local and global economies. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr McGregor. It makes me feel better about the sting that I got at the weekend. I now call Liam McArthur to be followed by Rob Gibson. Thank you very much, everybody. I start like others in thanking Bug Life Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, but in particular Angus MacDonald, for playing the invaluable role of keeping this issue on the parliamentary agenda. This is a role that was performed, I recall, in the previous Parliament by my good friend and former fellow Hines and Islands MSP Peter Peacock, who seemed to delight in standing up for invertebrates, as he said. He almost became his parts to his spokesman for the birds and the bees, and I think he would have unequivocally welcomed the beehives in the parliamentary complex, although he would probably have drawn the line at volunteering artificially inseminating any of them. The importance of bumblebees, honeybees and other pollinating insects, I recall in the debate that we had in 2009 on this issue, some figures that were fairly striking in evidence of this. 84 per cent of EU crops are pollinated by insects, and 80 per cent of wildflowers depend on insect pollination. Rather more than Angus MacDonald suggested that two out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat come from plants pollinated by all pollinating insects. The fact that numbers have dropped so dramatically, I think that the figures around 60 per cent in terms of the bumblebee population over the past 50 years matters a great deal. It matters economically, as others have indicated. It matters environmentally, as Alison Johnstone reminded us, in terms of maintaining our biodiversity. It should therefore matter politically. If further persuasion was needed, SWT pointed to a UGov poll suggesting that around 85 per cent of people put that right at the top of the environmental agenda. Decline in bee numbers is not a problem unique to Scotland, but the UK appears to be a worldwide phenomenon. The reasons for it are complex, covering the loss of floral diversity and nesting habitat, climate change, invasive non-native species, intensification of farming practices and the impacts of pesticides. I welcome the ban on neonics over the next two years. I know that there is an argument for going further with that, but in the meantime, the rules set out on sustainable use of pesticides and the guidance on integrated pest management are welcome steps forward. I also provide an opportunity to look at, through research, alternatives to these practices. I would also be interested to know from the Minister what through the new cap rules might be achieved through the greening requirements and through Agri environment schemes that she could perhaps ask a colleague to write to us in due course. In the interests of research, I think that this is somewhere where Scotland probably can punch above its way through the Morden and John James Hutton Institute. You understand that Newcastle University is already looking at ways of bringing together natural toxin from spider venom with plant protein to produce an insect-specific pesticide. I think that there is excellent research going on. I was struck by a couple of initiatives that SWT referred to. The flying flock of sheep and herd of cattle used to lightly graze trust reserves to help maintain habitat, conjuring up all sorts of images but no sign yet of the flying litter of pigs. Gardening for wildlife, demonstrating that we all have a role to play in this. I think that, with all due modesty, I can claim some success given the rampant explosion of nettle, swissles and other assorted plants in the land around my own house, creating a number of no-go zones for humans but a haven for bees. Indeed, Orkney is fortunate to be one of the few parts of the UK that still can acclaim to having great yellow bumble bees in some numbers, but the bee populations in Orkney are under threat, in the case of the honey bee, from the threat of the Varroa mite. The Minister for my previous role will know that the opportunity to have statuary infected area status protection on the islands has been lifted, but I still think that the Pentland Firth is an ideal barrier for a variety of animal and insects diseases. It will not be easy, but putting in place even a voluntary ban on the import of hives and of bees could make the destruction caused by the Varroa mite and other diseases less of a problem in the future. I would hope that she would encourage her colleagues to take that forward. Once again, in conclusion, I congratulate Angus MacDonald for bringing this debate forward and for giving us a bit of a breather from matters constitutional. Let me finish with a quote ascribed to Einstein that, if the bees go, mankind will follow within four years, which perhaps puts into perspective our deliberations on our constitutional future. Thank you very much indeed. Many thanks. There are other things to be said about the current crisis on bees, but I declare an interest as a member of the soil association, Slow Food Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation, but I am very happy to thank Angus MacDonald, who deserves every credit for securing this timely debate. The decline in pollinators, bees, moths, butterflies, hoverflies and many other invertebrates has been around 60 per cent, perhaps more, and bumblebees alone have lost over 60 per cent in the last 50 years, of which the black bee in Scotland is a bumblebee, not a hive bee. That cannot be repeated often enough if we are to wake up to the multiple causes and seek long-lasting solutions to restore pollinator biodiversity. The causes are multifactoral. Hedges grubbed up in past times have been robbed of wildflower margins, blossoms and hawthorns and greens and also nesting sites. Pollinator corridors were disrupted and the impacts of climate change and agricultural intensification use has intensified. Invasive non-native species and pesticides and bee diseases like Varroa have also taken their toll, as has been alluded to by other members. A fortnight ago, I met with Robin Engels, the secretary of the All-Rig and District Beekeepers Association in Caithness. He was dismayed by the arrival of Varroa might in Halkirk near Tharsol. It has taken 20 years to spread across Europe and I have been monitoring the disease for over 15 years as beekeepers from further south have rashly imported bees to the highlands from hives that were infected. Robin Engels stresses that the Scottish Government's bee health programme is very welcome and that free tests that are available from SASA, the science and advice for Scottish agriculture organisation in Edinburgh, help beekeepers plan and reduce the impact of the disease, which is only one of the many that they encounter. The John O'Groat Journal reported on 25 July that 2,000 Varroa mites can kill a colony of 30,000 honeybees, so that is the seriousness of the problem. The Racket Committee has discussed the threat to honeybees from neonicotinoids, which have decimated bumblebees and led to the EU directive, placing a two-year ban on the treatment, including in oil seed rape. The evidence in international science suggests that integrated pest management plans are essential and an extended ban on neonicotinoids is essential. The EU guidance was skewed by the anti-EU stance of the then UK agriculture secretary, Owen Paterson, who claimed that field trials would be needed to verify the EFSA ruling. However, mounting international evidence needs to be applied soon. The Scottish Government's precautionary principle has been influenced by the NFUS and its call for field trials. I note that the NFUS put in its briefing that it suggested that unrealistically high doses of plant protection products had been applied in lab tests. However, an article in the Guardian newspaper on 7 August on food self-sufficiency points out that yields of wheat and oil seed rape, for example, have flatlined since 1998. It is interesting to note that neonicotinoids were introduced in 1995. They do not seem to have helped the increase in the yield of oil seed rape. Indeed, in some areas, oil seed rape, like other cooking oils, are produced without the use of neonicotinoids, such as by Robert McKenzie at Calise in Easter Ross, for his award-winning Calise oil seed rape oil. The contrast between the need for integrated management plans to protect pollinators was never more urgent. The Scottish Government's moves in that direction are widely welcomed and the science applied so that farmers and the wider community can have peace of mind. NFUS Scotland has said that it would welcome further opportunity to work with stakeholders, including scientists, regulators, beekeepers and environmental NGOs, in order to ensure that Scottish farming and bees can coexist in a sustainable manner. In ending the threat to bees in Scotland, we need to promote and find the scientific research as soon as possible in greater amounts in our outstanding colleges and institutes to solve the problem of pollinator decline. That debate is a wake-up call. I would like to join my colleagues across the chamber in congratulating Angus MacDonald on securing this debate. I would also like to congratulate BugLife and the Scottish Wildlife Trust for their consistent work in highlighting the importance of the pollinator population to maintaining the biodiversity of not just our countryside but our urban environments too. We have learned how vital pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and other insects are to our ecosystems and that they are an essential part of the food chain. The loss of pollinators and the potential impact on food supply for humans, as well as wildlife, is quite daunting. It is very easy to feel powerless in the face of such devastating statistics. Yes, we must take precautionary steps such as banning neonicotinoids, as the EU has done for the next two years, but we must also have measures in place that will attempt to support habitats and rebuild pollinator populations. What has been especially heartening to see among the worrying developments of the past few years and the decreasing pollinator population are the very simple, easy contributions every person can make to try to improve and increase the habitats of pollinators. BugLife's campaign to get bit and buzzing is a great example of that, and I am pleased to see the getting the recognition that it deserves in today's debate. Biodiversity is an issue that this Parliament has considered before. During my time on the rural affairs, climate change and environment committee, I welcomed the opportunity to participate in debates on this very topic. Looking back to my contributions then, I note that I highlighted the huge range of biodiversity in Fife and the excellent work that is being carried out by projects across the region, including at Loughore Meadows. There are, of course, many other projects across Mid Scotland in Fife, which are helping to lead the fight back for our pollinator populations. Near Ceres in Fife is Fleece Falls Meadow Wildlife Reserve, which benefits from the wonderfully named flying flock of sheep, which the Scottish Wildlife Trust used to manage grasslands across Scotland through conservation grazing. However, in mentioning bugs, bees and even sheep, it would be remiss of me not to mention the brown, long-eared bat. As the proud species champion for its great-weigh creature, we need to remember how this and many other species are reliant upon a healthy population of pollinators and our diverse range of habitats. The bat conservation cluster has highlighted how important wildlife corridors can be for bats and other creatures by linking up different habitats across Scotland's landscape. Impressively, it is not just the environmental importance of pollinators that has been calculated. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has been able to quantify the economic impact of pollinators to the economy, and it is estimated to be at least £43 million annually in Scotland alone. It is not just our agriculture and food sector that is reliant upon having a diverse and healthy pollinator population. When you add in the importance of Scotland's landscape to our visitors, then the tourism sector would surely be considered too. We know that the threat to our biodiversity from the loss of pollinators is one that crosses borders, so I am pleased that the UK's Environmental Audit Committee has also strongly voiced its concerns about DEFRA's reservations over the EU commission ban on neonicotrony pesticides. I welcome the precautionary principle that has been followed by the EU on this matter, and I am interested to hear from the minister what the Scottish Government's view is of making this ban permanent once the EU temporary ban has lapsed. We only have to look to countries where the pollinator population has already collapsed to see how vital it is that we get this right, and I support the principles that are outlined in bug-lice manifesto. I now invite Roseanna Cunningham to respond to the debate. I congratulate Angus MacDonald for securing this debate on Scotland's pollinators. I am encouraged by the impressive level of cross-party support that he obtained for the motion, although that was the case the last time as well. As members may know, my colleagues Paul Wheelhouse and Richard Lochhead are currently at different ends of the country making important announcements, so they turned to a former environment minister to step into the breach today. I was toying with some justice-related bee puns and the only thing that I could come up with was the police training crack bee squads in order to help them with their sting operations. I do not really know where that fits in with the rest of people's puns on this particular area. I responded to the motion in 2009 and there was an equally informed discussion today. I have been flicking through the debate. There was also an equal number of puns as today, it is unavoidable. Members will, however, forgive me if this time I have to refer some of them more specific questions to my colleagues, and I know that they will come back on some issues. At the time of that debate, I highlighted the Scottish Government's intention to launch a 10-year honey bee health strategy. The strategy has enhanced partnership working, and it is halfway through that process. It is helping us to make steady progress towards the common goal of creating a sustainable and healthy population of honey bees in Scotland. I am encouraged by the strengthening of bee health initiatives and improved biosecurity in response to that honey bee health strategy. It is nonetheless important for beekeepers themselves to appreciate the significant role they play in ensuring disease management and control within their own apiaries. The economic importance of the honey market in Scotland is self-evident, with an average annual value of around £9 million. Initiatives such as the Bee Farmers Association's apprenticeship scheme helped to strengthen that important industry by supporting younger people to take up the enterprise. Of course, we did have the beekeeping, colonise and orange say order 2013, an important step to ensuring that we have a reserve of black bee colonies that are free from disease and hybridisation threats. I am sure that, had Peter Peacock been in the chamber, he would have been wanting to welcome that as well. As we have heard from a number of members, Angus MacDonald himself, Alison Johnstone and others, however, the issue is not just about honey bees. There are at least 1,500 species of insects that pollinate plants in the UK. I will have to ask Jane Baxter to forgive me because I do not have specific lines on bats. I am indebted to her for bringing to my attention that they also play a role in this, and I will reprimand my officials for not at least having some reference to them in my briefing. There is increasing evidence that wild bees and hoverflies are particularly important pollinators in Scotland. The value of insect pollination services in Scotland is, as Jane Baxter said, estimated at £43 million per year. That was acknowledged in the 2020 challenge for Scotland's biodiversity. We share members' concerns about the declines in the number, diversity and geographical range of pollinators, especially those with more specialised habitat or forage needs. We also recognise that we need to improve our understanding of the distribution abundance and changes in pollinators in the countryside. That is why we are contributing to a new UK-level initiative to design and test a national pollinator and pollination monitoring scheme. That will include an important people engagement element to the future monitoring effort, building on the contributions that can be made through citizen science. Scottish Government continues to support initiatives that improve our understanding of the range of factors affecting pollinators. For example, and this is in part answer to Claudia Beamish's request for information about research, we are investing £560,000 in that insect pollinator initiative. That is a major research initiative in total of £10 million in nine projects over five years. It is led by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and draws together a number of different partners. The insect pollinators initiative includes studies on managing bee and other insect pollinator diseases, understanding the impact of land-use changes on pollinators, understanding the ecology and conservation of urban bees and pollinator efficiency. A number of members have mentioned, as I would have expected, the problem of neonicotinoids or neonics. Scottish Government will scrutinise emerging research evidence relating to the effects of neonic use and continues to support advisory work by Scotland's rural college that informs farmers on the safe use of pesticide products and alternatives to pesticides. Our activity is, of course, much broader than simply evidence gathering. There is much that we do already know and there is a lot that we can and are already doing to help pollinators in Scotland. That includes maintaining and re-establishing wildflower-rich grasslands and pasture. In the next Scotland rural development programme, pollinators will continue to be one of the beneficiaries in the arable options. I might not answer the very specific question that Liam McArthur asked, but I will ask my colleagues to come back to him on anything further. Appropriate management of our hedgerows and road edges by local authorities and land managers is also important, ensuring that the wildflowers along those are allowed to flourish during the main flowering period between March and September. In the green spaces in urban areas, many of us can make our own contribution by planting pollinator-friendly plants in our gardens. It is important that they span the seasons from the early flowering bluebells to summer time to the late flowering honeysuckle lavender or sunflower plants. I want to restate something that I said in the 2009 debate, which is that maintaining or allowing some wild areas in urban gardens is an enormous help in that regard. It is an excuse to be a lazy gardener, and I do not know that people need excuses. We need to build on successful initiatives such as the Bumblebee Conservation Trust bees for everyone project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage. We recognise the range of activity that is required to enhance and improve pollinator populations. We are working with SNH to produce towards the end of the year a pollinator strategy that will help to consolidate the partnership and collaboration effort in place. The principles of the bug life manifesto will be taken forward through that particular strategy. It will frame the future surveillance and monitoring needs and the crucial research required to help to improve our understanding of the complexities. £100,000 has gone in as a contribution to that scheme. Again, that is another aspect of the spend. I thank members for their contributions today on the importance of Scotland's pollinators. Raising awareness of the issues and the steps that we can all take to help pollinators is important. I hope that it is not another five years before there is another debate on bees in the Parliament. Thank you minister, and that concludes the Angus MacDonald's debate on Scotland's pollinator population. I now suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2.30pm.