Ewen-Street Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ewen-Street Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8400] 
10.  
IAN EWEN-STREET (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: What public funding currently exists for research into the control of varroa bee mite and when does this funding expire? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Research Science and Technology) 
: 
 I am advised that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has used public funds to support a $1 million varroa research programme. The bulk of that work was completed by June 2003. The Foundation for Research Science and Technology has never funded research specific to varroa control. An application from HortResearch for research into the control of the varroa bee mite was considered by the foundation but was not successful. HortResearch has been seeking the financial support of various interested organisations in order to continue parts of the varroa research programme. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: What is the Minister doing to ensure that the demarcation dispute between the Foundation for Research Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry over funding does not jeopardise the bee products industry and all of the primary production that depends on pollination; and if he is doing nothing why is he doing nothing? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I do not think there is a demarcation dispute. The amount of biosecurity research funded by this Government has increased this time by 600 percent and still the varroa bee mite research did not make the cut. Some questions need to be asked about why that was. 
Helen Duncan 
: How does the foundation allocate its funding? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Funding is allocated on a contestable basis using expert reference panels. Any research into the specific control of the varroa bee mite is assessed alongside other research. When it does its biosecurity research assessment the foundation focuses on the best means of protecting our ecology and agriculture from introduced threats in the future. The investment round—and I think this is important—was 300 percent oversubscribed; therefore a large number of research proposals missed out. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Is the Minister concerned that the bee products and pollination service industries could be decimated when the varroa bee mite becomes resistant to present treatments and does he not realise that he does not have the luxury of time to delay the completion of the research? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member misses the point. I do not make research decisions. I am not allowed in law to do so. However I am concerned which is why I rang the chief executive of HortResearch a week or two ago and said: “Look what are we going to do about this?” I have had a letter from him to say that additional funding has been secured from the private sector and from within HortResearch as well which will keep some of the work going. Some of us are looking to see whether we can find some more money on top of that. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Why does the Minister think that the bee-keeping industry should be totally responsible for funding because of biosecurity work by other State agencies when for instance the forestry industry does not pay for the eradication of the painted apple moth and the Asian gypsy moth? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: With respect the member misses the point again. I have never said that I think the private sector should be fully responsible. What is more—guess what—last year and the year before the research was paid for entirely by the Government. This time around HortResearch missed out on a research bid that it has never previously had any success with. Notwithstanding that the private sector and HortResearch which is Government-owned are trying to put together a programme.