West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris Government has written to the Secretary of State for the Environment George Eustice to ask the Minister to grant him metro mayor powers to ban the use of a bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticide in the West of England.

Just one teaspoon of thiamethoxam is enough to kill 1.25 billion bees.

Yet the Government has disregarded the advice of top UK health and safety experts by authorising its use for the second year in a row.

The advice from the Health and Safety Executive on page 193 of their extensive report could not have been clearer. It says:

"HSE considers the potential adverse effects to honey bees (and other pollinators) which could arise if an authorisation was to be granted outweigh the likely benefits of granting the authorisation, so on the basis of the information available the authorisation cannot be supported."

In his letter to the Environment Secretary Mr Norris asked for powers similar to those devolved to the Welsh Government where growers must apply to the Senedd for authorisation to use pesticides on Welsh land.

West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: "I want to make the West of England the bee and pollinator capital of the UK. The health of our bees is non-negotiable. But the Conservatives simply cannot be trusted to protect our environment. It's frankly shocking that the government has disregarded their own scientists again. I believe the Government should reverse it's decision swiftly.

"But just as in Wales and Scotland where it is decided locally whether pesticides are used on the fields, I would really like that decision to be in our hands locally too in the West of England. That's why I have requested those powers.

We really can't live without our pollinator friends. It would be amazing if the West of England could also lead the way in England to show what we can live without is neo nic pesticides."

Luke Pollard MP added: "Bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides need banned for good. We know how harmful they are to our bees and pollinators, that's why they're banned in so many countries - including in the UK just last year.

"If we have any chance of protecting our natural environment, making sure we all have enough food to eat, and in tackling the climate and nature emergency, then the health of our bees is non-negotiable.

"Metro Mayors like Dan Norris should be given the power to make the decision that is right for his area on this, rather than having this imposed from Whitehall."

e not designed to kill insects. They are acute toxins. Bees and other important pollinators are bound to be killed by insecticides targeted at, for example, the flea beetle, which attacks oilseed rape and which farmers want to control."

To protect bees and other pollinators, neonicotinoid insecticides were banned across the EU in 2018, with UK support. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed the harm neonicotinoids do to bees.