To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which (a) organisations and (b) individuals were consulted during the development of his Department's bee health research Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation statement. (280723)

[holding answer 18 June 2009]: DEFRA’s bee health research Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation statement (ROAME) was included as part of the public consultation on the Healthy Bees plan which commenced on 8 April 2008 and closed on 29 August 2008. The consultation documents were published on the DEFRA website and were sent to the following organisations:

Avon Beekeepers’ Association

Bedfordshire Beekeepers’ Association

Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd.

Bee Farmers’ Association

Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association

British Beekeepers’ Association

British Wax Refining Co. Ltd.

Buckingham Beekeepers’ Association

Central Association of Beekeepers

Chalfonts Beekeepers’ Society

Chesterfield Beekeepers’ Association

Commercial Queen Rearers’ Association Of The UK

Council of National Beekeeping Associations in the UK

Devon Beekeepers’ Association

Durham Beekeepers’ Association

Easybee Products

Essex Beekeepers’ Association

Furness Beekeepers’ Association

Gloucestershire Beekeepers’ Association

Great Witley Beekeepers’ Association

Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers

Kendal and S. Westmorland Beekeepers’ Association

Kent Beekeepers’ Association

Leicestershire and Rutland Beekeepers’ Association

London Beekeepers Association

Manchester and District Beekeepers’ Association

Meon Valley Beekeepers

Mid-Bucks Beekeepers’ Association

National Farmers’ Union

Newcastle and District Beekeepers’ Association

Northamptonshire Beekeepers’ Association

Northumberland Beekeepers’ Association

Southport and Formby Beekeepers

Surrey Beekeepers’ Association

Thurrock Beekeepers’ Association

West Sussex Beekeepers’ Association

Wiltshire Beekeepers’ Association

Women’s Food and Farming Union

BASF plc

Belchim Crop Protection UK

Biological Crop Protection Ltd.

Crop Protection Association

Exosect Ltd.

Koppert UK Ltd.

National Bee Supplies

National Office of Animal Health

Poth Hill and Co. Ltd.

Syngenta Bioline Ltd.

Thornes Beehives

Vita (Europe) Ltd.

BBKA News

Bee Craft

Bicton College

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

C B Dennis British Beekeepers Research Trust

Country Smallholding Magazine

Hadlow College

Horticulture Research International

International Bee Research Association

Marine Biological Association of the UK

Myerscough College

National Diploma in Beekeeping

Natural Environment Research Council

Otley College

Rothamsted Research

Royal Agricultural Society of England

Smallholder Magazine

Honey Association

Honey Importers and Packers Association

Consumers’ Association

Food and Drink Federation

Fresh Produce Consortium

First Honey Co-Operative

Health Food Manufactures Association

British Tomato Growers’ Association

Commercial Horticultural Association

Cucumber Growers’ Association

Horticultural Development Council

Horticultural Trades Association

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services

Local Government Association

National Association of Agricultural Contractors

Natural England

Sitpro Ltd.

The consultation documents were also sent to 31 bee importers and three academics. Individual information cannot be disclosed due to the Data Protection Act. 86 responses were received.

The ROAME statement and the Evidence and Innovation strategy for bee health are published on the DEFRA website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of Government funding for research related to the honey bee was allocated to (a) the National Bee Unit and (b) higher education institutions in each of the five financial years to 2007-08. (280724)

[holding answer 18 June 2009]: The allocations by percentage of DEFRA funding for honey bee health in each of the five financial years prior to 2007-08 are as follows: