The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Amendment Order 2021

Made: 19th February 2021

Laid before the Scottish Parliament: 23rd February 2021

Coming into force: 21st April 2021

The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 1 of the Bees Act 1980[^f00001] and all other powers enabling them to do so:

Citation and commencement

1

This Order may be cited as the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Amendment Order 2021 and comes into force on 21 April 2021.

Amendment of the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Order 2007

2

After article 2 of the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Order 2007[^f00002] insert—

(2A) (1) Any owner or person in charge of a hive who knows or suspects that any species of the Varroa mite is present in the hive must report, as soon as practicable, that fact to the Scottish Ministers. (2) A person reporting under paragraph (1) may submit to the Scottish Ministers samples of— (a) any bee pest to establish if it is any species of the Varroa mite; or (b) any other thing, including soil, to establish if it is infected with any species of the Varroa mite. (3) Any sample submitted under paragraph (2) must be packed in a way which prevents, as far as possible, the risk of the spread of infection during transit.

Signed

BEN MACPHERSON — Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers — 19th February 2021

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order amends the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Order 2007 (“the 2007 Order”) which makes provision for the control of pests and diseases affecting bees.

Article 2 of this Order inserts a new article 2A into the 2007 Order regarding reporting of the presence of Varroa mites. New article 2A requires persons owning or in charge of a hive to report the presence of any species of Varroa mite in that hive to the Scottish Ministers, and makes provision for the sending of samples to the Scottish Ministers for identification.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1980 c.12. The functions of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales were, so far as exercisable within devolved competence, transferred to Scottish Ministers by virtue of section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 (c.46).

[^f00002]: S.S.I. 2007/506.