§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was spent by each local authority in the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 on (a) preventive felling and (b) inoculation of elm trees to contain and control the spread of Dutch elm disease; what is his assessment of the success of these measures; and what is the present position in relation to the prevalence of the disease.
§ Mrs. FennerNo figures are available of the amounts spent by local authorities in the years since 1976 on attempts to control the spread of Dutch elm disease.
It has not proved possible to stop the spread of the disease, although sanitation measures, including the felling of infected trees and controls on the movement of elm, have slowed its progress in many areas.
In southern England the vast majority of elms have been killed and, with the exception of some parts of east and west Sussex, all attempts at control have been abandoned. The disease is now out of control over large parts of northern England, Wales and southern Scotland. Control measures continue to be undertaken, however, in areas where the incidence of the disease is still low and there is a reasonable prospect of slowing down its spread. The inoculation or injection of trees with fungicide is an expensive method of control, but it has been used on a limited scale.