Rodent Control (Hansard, 17 July 1997)

§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the next national rodent survey will be undertaken. [8447]

§ Mr. Morley
Information on the level of rat and mice infestation is being collected as part of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' 1996 English House Condition Survey. The results of the survey are expected to be published towards the end of this year.

§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health relating to Government responsibility for rodent control; and if he will make a statement. [8449]

§ Mr. Morley
The recommendations of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health were made following publication of the 1993 National Rodent Survey and they were fully considered at the time. The position will be reviewed after the results of the 1996 English House Condition Survey on rodent infestation are known later this year.

§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requirements are placed upon local authorities to(a) record and (b) respond to incidents of rat infestation. [8442]

§ Mr. Morley
Under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities are required to keep their districts as free as practicable from rats and mice and to carry out such inspections as may be necessary for this purpose. The Act requires occupiers of land, other than agricultural land, to give notice in writing to the local authority of rodent infestations.

§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to bring about a reduction in levels of rat infestation in domestic properties. [8452]

§ Mr. Morley
Although the results of the 1993 National Rodent Survey showed that there had been a small increase since the late 1970s in the level of rat infestation in properties used for domestic purposes, overall, the survey did not provide sufficient evidence to warrant a change in current rodent control policies. The situation will be reviewed in the light of the 1996 survey, the results of which are expected to be published towards the end of this year.
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§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many rat infestations were recorded(a) in total and (b) by local authority for each year since 1990. [8443]

§ Mr. Morley
In 1993, 4.8 per cent. of properties were infested with rats. This information is not available at the level of local authority due to the small sample size. Figures are not available for other years.

§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the growth in the incidence of rat infestation in domestic properties. [8448]

§ Mr. Morley
Rodent numbers can be affected by a number of factors including climate, food availability, level and effectiveness of control, availability of breeding sites and levels of predators. The 1996 English House Condition Survey, the results of which will be available later this year, will provide more detailed information about levels of rodent infestation.