§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the estimated cost to his Department of administering his scheme to control the numbers of edible dormice.
§ Mr. RyderLicences to trap edible dormice are issued as a small part of my Department's general licensing responsibilities under the Widlife and Countryside Act 1981. There is no specific scheme of control. The administrative cost of issuing licences in 1989 is estimated at £80.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his assessment of the damage inflicted to the commercial timber industry by the six edible dormice, the destruction of which he authorised in 1988.
§ Mr. RyderDamage to commercial woodland by edible dormice is assessed by local Ministry biologists. The dormice strip off bark, mainly from larch trees. Such damage occurs in very localised areas but can considerably reduce the long-term value of the stands of trees affected. The success of control varies markedly from year to year but actual trapping occurs only when damage becomes apparent and local Ministry staff have been notified.