§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will inquire into the problem of rat and mice infestation in the Greater London area; and if he will publish his findings on the comparisons of effective control methods used and the number of operatives used borough by borough.
§ Mr. StrangI have been asked to reply.
No significant changes in levels of rodent infestation are apparent from the latest data which my Department has collected from the local authorities concerned. The situation in Greater London, as in other larger conurbations, is that mouse infestations are found more frequently, and rat infestations less frequently, than average levels for the country as a whole. My Department's Pest Infestation Control Laboratory regularly monitors and compares the suitability and effectiveness of various rodent control techniques and treatments. These findings are published, primarily with a view to providing guidance for local authorities, in a reference manual "Control of Rats and Mice". I am sending a copy of this to my hon. Friend and am arranging for a further copy to be placed in the Library of the House. No central records are kept of numbers of local authority pest control staff.