MPs have warned that research into bees and their decline, risks being damaged by a reliance on pesticide companies for funding.
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) says that it believes the government's National Pollinator Strategy could lose public support if it is not transparent about its make up.
Chair of the Committee, Joan Walley MP, said: "When it comes to research on pesticides, Defra is content to let the manufacturers fund the work. This testifies to a loss of environmental protection capacity in the Department responsible for it.
"If the research is to command public confidence, independent controls need to be maintained at every step. Unlike other research funded by pesticide companies, these studies also need to be peer-reviewed and published in full."
The EAC report found: "New studies have added weight to those that indicated a harmful link between pesticide use and pollinator populations."
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