The objective of BDI is to improve the health of bees by encouraging beekeepers through insurance and by other means to comply with The Bee Diseases Control Order 1982 which imposes legal obligations on all beekeepers in Great Britain.

We work closely with DEFRA (previously known as MAFF) to ensure that disease in bees is properly dealt with and DEFRA acknowledge our help.

Beekeeping Associations own BDI. Each Member Association has a legal share now with a net asset value of approximately £1,000 per Association built up over the last 65 years. Recent Government Legislation is now eating into our premiums and membership fees.

We, on your behalf, already have to pay the following:5% of membership fees and premiums goes in Insurance Premium Tax!

We have to make an Annual Return to the Financial Services Authority for which they charge us a filing fee of £400.

In addition to the above we are now being told that we, beekeepers, must pay towards supporting policy holders of insolvent insurance companies and to pay the administrative costs of a new body called The Financial Services Compensation Scheme. So far this year we have received the following invoices for payment:

£129.89 following the appointment of provisional liquidators at Chester Street Independent Insurance.

£279.00 in respect of the Financial Ombudsman Service

If this continues it may affect the future of BDI and this in turn will ultimately affect the health of bees and the future of beekeeping as well as the environment.

Please help to keep our beekeeping activities free of this financial and bureaucratic burden by writing to your M.P. The name of your M.P. may be found by visiting the World Wide Web (www.parliament.uk.) and search index or telephone me on 01202 880789. Overleaf you will find a suggested draft letter. You may like to use this draft or use your own words.

Philip Jacobi Secretary, Bee Diseases Insurance, Highbury, Furzehill WIMBORNE, BH21 4HD

The Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton is Edward Davey MP, Liberal Democrat
He has a website and may be contacted at:
Constituency Office
23a,Victoria Road,
Surbiton
Surrey
KT6 4JZ
Phone : 020-8288 0161
Fax : 020-8288 1090

Westminster Office
House of Commons
Westminster
SW1A 0AA
Phone : 020-7219 3512
Fax : 020-7219 0250

TO: ......................................
House of Commons
LONDON
SWIA OAA
Date .................

Dear..........................

I write to you as a member of (or on behalf of) ..................... Beekeeping
Association.

I am sure that you will know that the honey bee plays a vital role in the environment by pollinating both wild flowers and many agricultural crops as they forage for nectar and pollen. The value of such crops grown in the UK is estimated at billions of pounds annually. The essential and valuable activities of bees depend upon the beekeepers maintaining a healthy population of honey bees.

As with other forms of livestock, honey bees are subject to a range of harmful diseases and Beekeepers have to comply with the Bee Diseases Control Order 1982. This Statutory Instrument requires beekeepers to inform the Minister for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if they have reason to believe their bees have one of the specified diseases. On confirmation of the disease the Ministry Inspector may require the diseased bees and equipment to be destroyed by fire so as to prevent the spread of disease.

To help and encourage beekeepers to comply with the law beekeepers set up 65 years ago a self help organisation called the Bee Diseases Insurance Limited (BDI). We have 8,000/10,000 beekeepers who each contribute 60 pence per year per colony of bees to a common fund from which those who suffer a loss are compensated. BDI work closely with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural affairs and DEFRA acknowledge the help given. We do not want another outbreak of disease like that experienced last year with Foot and Mouth Disease. Bee Diseases Insurance is an organisation run by beekeepers on a voluntary basis. The officers are mostly retired people who undertake the administrative work from their homes and without payment. There are no premises and no staff.

Unfortunately BDI have become caught up over the last few years in excessive government control and financial restrictions intended for Commercial Organisations. We have to pay Insurance Premium tax to Customs and Excise and Filing Fees to Financial Services Authority. In addition during the last few weeks we have been asked to pay I:279.00 towards the support of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and a further £129.89 following the appointment of provisional liquidators at Chester Street Independent Insurance. All this has nothing to do with our hobby of beekeeping.

Please may I ask you to intervene with the FSA/DEFRA to save our self?help group which is working to improve the environment. For 65 years we have worked to support MAFF/DEFRA and this is now at risk. We have to be excluded from this excessive legislation and particularly the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,

....................................................

I sent this letter to my MP, Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, at the House of Commons.
To see his reply click here.