Dutch Elm Disease

HC Deb 26 October 1977 vol 936 cc861-2W

Mr. Whitehead

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his policy towards the recommendations of the report of the Tree Council entitled "Problems arising from Dutch elm disease", which was published in March 1976; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what would be the net cost to public funds of the employment of teams to deal with trees affected by Dutch elm disease, as recommended in the Tree Council's report of March 1976, bearing in mind the probable reduction in unemployment and other benefits.

Mr. Marks:

I sent the Government's response on 26th September 1977. I told the Tree Council that grants available from the Forestry Commission and Countryside Commission for tree planting would go a long way towards alleviating the effects of the disease on the landscape. I also suggested that the Tree Council could usefully publicise efforts to contain the disease, and local initiatives on clearing small elms. I have listed below a summary of the main points of the Government's reply. Because of the constraints on public expenditure the Government cannot meet the cost, estimated by the Tree Council to be £38 million, of employing fellers to deal with dangerous trees and hygiene clearance in lightly affected area. My right hon. Friend the then Minister for Planning and Local Government announced this in his reply to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Mr. Goodhew) on 20th July 1976. Assistance cannot be provided towards land owners' expenses in felling dead elms. Many local authorities have already started removing dead or diseased elms. The Government hope that some felling and clearing of diseased elms will be undertaken by volunteers. Funds can be provided by the Job Creation Programme, and by 13th June 1977 29 projects, costing £329,000, most of which have been sponsored by local authorities, had been aproved. Felling, other than that of small trees, requires skilled operatives though. The Forestry Commission is continuing its research on the disease but so far no really successful treatment has been found. Fungicidal injection is expensive and has to be repeated annually. The only way of delaying the progress of spread of the disease is by sanitation felling. In urban areas the felling programme, both for sanitation and safety reasons, can be justified. In rural areas sanitation felling is best concentrated in lightly affected areas. Nearly all authorities in these areas have powers, under the Dutch Elm Disease (Local Authorities) Order 1977, to fell diseased trees or to require them to be felled. The Countryside Commission will consider giving financial asistance to local authorities towards combined sanitation felling and replanting programmes in ligthly affected areas. The Elm Marketing Group has asked Government Departments, local authorities, and the trade to increase their use of elm timber. There are good prospects of increasing the quantity of elm used, and best quality timber is already in short supply. But it is difficult to dispose of all the elm, particularly where it has no technical or price advantage over more traditional timbers. The estimated cost of storing elm timber centrally is £15 million. This is uneconomic and the Government cannot underwrite the estimated loss involved. The Forestry Commission when considering applications for felling licences will give particular attention, in consultation with local planning authorities, to the amenity of areas affected by the disease.