Rabbit Control (Hansard, 21 May 1992)

The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)
My Lords, rabbit clearance societies ceased to receive government funding in 1971. Since then it has been the policy of successive governments to leave responsibility for the control of vertebrate pests of agriculture, including rabbits, in the hands of the individual landowners and occupiers who benefit most from this control. It is not proposed to change that policy.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that rather unsatisfactory reply. Is he aware that in some areas rabbits are causing tremendous problems to young trees and vegetables as well as farming crops? The frustration is becoming great. Unless there is co-ordinated rabbit control, can the Minister say how one can accomplish a satisfactory solution?

Earl Howe
My Lords, the Government will certainly encourage all landowners and occupiers to practice rabbit control wherever necessary, as indeed occupiers of land are legally required to do under the terms of the Pests Act 1954. Leaflets outlining effective methods of rabbit control are available free of charge through ADAS and there are a number of effective methods that can be used.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that, if Staffordshire rural area is anything to go by, the rabbits are back with a vengeance? The amount of damage that they can do is quite clear to everyone who understands the needs of the countryside. To leave it to spasmodic control is not 678 likely to do the job. Some way must be found to co-ordinate the efforts that should be made to clear us of these vermin.

Earl Howe
My Lords, the damage caused by rabbits is considerable, which is why MAFF currently funds over £750,000 worth of research into rabbit damage and control in all its aspects. However, where organisations are set up to deal with the problem they must bear in mind that the key to successful rabbit control is for all landowners and occupiers in an area to work together. Once even a small area of land is omitted from the control programme, the effort is wasted.

§ Lord Taylor of Gryfe
My Lords, while the Minister and his research department are looking at the massive damage that occurs as a result of this pest, will he also include research into the damage done by the grey squirrel, particularly to woodlands?

Earl Howe
My Lords, research into all aspects of rabbit control is currently being funded by MAFF. I cannot comment on the noble Lord's point regarding squirrels, which is a little wide of the Question.

§ Lord Gallacher
My Lords, the noble Earl will recall that when rabbit clearance societies existed they were registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act. Registration under that Act has now become a rather expensive business thanks to a Treasury directive in regard to costs. Will the noble Earl consider using his best endeavours with the Treasury to ask it, in the case of registration of a rabbit clearance society under the Act, either to do so at a nominal charge or to do so free, gratis and for nothing, in view of the importance of the revival of this campaign?

Earl Howe
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for bringing that point to my attention. I shall certainly bring it to the notice of my right honourable friend.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, can the noble Earl say whether there is any danger of viral haemorrhagic disease, which has broken out in one or two commercial rabbit breeding centres, getting into the wild population? What precautions are being taken to prevent that?

Earl Howe
My Lords, as the noble Countess is aware, that is a virulent disease, which can cause multiple sudden deaths when present in adult rabbits, and was made a notifiable disease in the UK in June of last year. However, the presence of VHD in the UK was only confirmed in April of this year on two private premises among show rabbits. Those premises are now subject to movement restrictions.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, will the noble Earl confirm that this is a problem which the European Commission will permit the United Kingdom to deal with in its own way? Or are the Government awaiting a detailed directive from the Commission costing thousands of pounds before they take further action?

Earl Howe
My Lords, it is up to the United Kingdom to sort out the problem as best it can. It needs no guidance from the Commission to do so.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, can the Minister say what research is being done on rabbit control? The only thing that ever controlled rabbits in this country was myxomatosis.

Earl Howe
My Lords, the research that is being conducted at the moment includes research into predicting damage to winter wheat in relation to rabbit density and timing of population control; developing humane, acceptable and cost-effective techniques for reducing rabbit numbers or preventing damage; computer modelling of rabbit populations and designing integrated control packages; and looking at risks to non-target species from rabbit control methods.

§ Lady Saltoun of Abernethy
My Lords, what is the point of spending money on research into the damage done by rabbits when we all know the damage that they do? Would it not be better to spend the money on rabbit control schemes?

Earl Howe
My Lords, it is open to all occupiers of land to protect their crops and young tree plantations as they think best. Fencing, both wire mesh and electrified, is an effective method of so doing. Recent trials have shown that it results in a reduction of around 80 per cent. in the number of rabbits present in the protected fields. The farmers whose land on which the research was conducted estimate that the additional profit arising from their subsequent yield increases was sufficient to cover the costs of electric fencing in one year and of wire mesh fencing in two years.

§ Lord Monk Bretton
My Lords, is my noble friend really satisfied with the operation of the Pest Act? Has he any information as to how often it has been invoked of late?

Earl Howe
My Lords, I am sorry but I did not catch the last part of my noble friend's question.

§ Lord Monk Bretton
My Lords, can my noble friend say how often the Pest Act has been invoked of late?

Earl Howe
My Lords, the frequency of the use of the Pest Act has been at a very low rate. It is open to a landowner to invoke it, if he wishes, where a neighbouring landowner is, in his opinion, failing to control rabbits effectively. It is also open to that person to initiate prosecution proceedings.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, the Minister has put great emphasis on landowners. Can he say anything about small farmers and people with vegetable plots who may be ruined and greatly frustrated?

Earl Howe
My Lords, it is possible to apply for grant aid under the farm and conservation grant scheme for certain types of permanent wire netting. I hope that that is helpful.