'Bees are having a tough time'

The government should suspend the use of a number of pesticides linked to the deaths of bees, a committee of MPs has said.

Members of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee are calling for a moratorium on the use of sprays containing neonicotinoids.

The UK has refused to back an EU ban on these chemicals saying their impact on bees is unclear but MPs say this is an "extraordinarily complacent" approach.

Speaking to the BBC's Matt McGrath on the Today programme, Tim Lovett, public affairs director of the British Beekeepers Association, explained why there had been a decline in bees.

He said that "we are very concerned" about the pesticides, but said that he was being cautious as there had not been enough research done about the effects of neonicotinoids on the bees.

"If damage is really taking place, we need to act on it," he added.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday 5 April 2013.