The full text of the letter is below:

The Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP,

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Nobel House

17 Smith Square

London

SW1P 3JR

1^st July, 2014

Dear Owen,

I am writing to ask for further information about the request from Syngenta for a derogation from the two year ban on three neonicotinoid insecticides.

The Labour Party fully supports the European-wide ban as a proportionate response to the scientific evidence of the serious risk that neonicotinoids pose to pollinators, and to bees in particular.

I oppose Syngenta’s request for a derogation from the neonicotinoid ban on the grounds that:

• A ban on neonicotinoids is in the public interest and has a strong public mandate
• Wide-spread use of neonicotinoid insecticides during the two year ban would prevent scientists from gathering evidence on the impact of the ban on the health of pollinators (in particular bees);  
• There is insufficient evidence that Syngenta’s proposals would comply with UK and European legal safeguards and what evidence they say they have has not been made public;
  • The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has failed to act as a competent authority on the regulation of insecticides and the application of sound science;

The publication of Syngenta’s request for a derogation from the ban and full disclosure of the scientific and commercial supporting evidence is a necessary criteria for effective scrutiny.

In light of the failure to publish Syngenta’s request for a derogation I would like to request immediate publication and answers to the following questions:

• When will Government take a final decision on the application from Syngenta?
• What are the criteria by which the Government will take the final decision on the application from Syngenta?
• What legal advice has the Government sought on the application from Syngenta?
• What evidence does the Government have that the measures for which Syngenta has requested a derogation arenecessary because of a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means?

On the basis of the available evidence, the decision to grant Syngenta a derogation from the two year ban would be anti-scientific and would confirm the damaging impression that the Government has abandoned evidence-based policy making.

The decision to oppose the ban on neonicotinoids, the decision to ignore peer-review evidence in favour of a flawed Government study, and decision not to conduct further research into the impact of neonicotinoids on pollinator health, have completely undermined trust in the ability of the Government to act as a competent authority on the environment.

I have copied this letter to Professor Ian Boyd, Professor Sir Mark Walport and Joan Walley MP in regard to their respective advisory roles on this issue.

Kind regards,

Barry Gardiner MP

(Labour’s Shadow Environment Minister)

cc’ Professor Ian Boyd, Professor Sir Mark Walport and Joan Walley MP