§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the provisions of various Acts of Enclosure covering land in England and Wales requiring that hedgerows be established and maintained in perpetuity, he will take steps to rectify the extensive destruction which has taken place in recent years.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneHedgerows were established to meet a practical need, and a high proportion of the losses in recent years have also arisen from changes in agricultural requirement. I am informed that there is no definition of required types of fencing in the general Enclosure Acts, and I do not believe it is realistic to expect a reversal of recent trends while economic circumstances remain as they are.