National Fruit Collection (Hansard, 14 December 1989)

§ Mr. Maclean

The national fruit collection, originally established at Wisley and currently situated at Brogdale experimental horticulture station in Kent, is a unique and internationally renowned source of genetic material and part of the nation's heritage. We have consistently made clear that we shall continue to provide financial support for the collection so as to safeguard its long-term future, although we would not necessarily retain it at the Brogdale site. After very careful consideration we have concluded that Wye college, part of the university of London, should become the collection's permanent home since this offers the best prospects for its future security and stability.

We announced in March that we propose to close Brogdale EHS unless alternative industry funding was forthcoming. Extensive inquiries have failed to identify sufficient industry support to sustain its R and D programme which is intended primarily for commercial growers. In the circumstances we have decided that Brogdale EHS should close as an ADAS experimental station on 31 March 1990.

Against this background we examined carefully the options for the future management of the collection. We would have liked the collection to have remained at Brogdale, but this was, unfortunately, not possible. In particular we were concerned that it would have been isolated there from wider horticultural, academic and scientific expertise and that in the long run the additional overhead inherent in a small, separate unit would have proved too great. We were attracted by Swale borough council's offer to take on the management of the collection at the Brogdale site. But we had to conclude that a borough council could not offer the perpetuity of commitment or scientific strength which is needed for the collection. This led us to the view that it was not in the best interests of the collection to stay at Brogdale after its closure as an ADAS station.

Two organizations—Wye college and the East Mailing Trust—offered to manage the collection on their own sites. We carefully studied the detailed information they provided and concluded that there was a clear case in favour of Wye college. As part of the university of London, Wye college will be able to ensure the collection's long-term security and continued independence from other fruit research and breeding activites, in particular for 801W plant variety rights (PVR) testing, a point to which much importance is attached internationally. Moreover, the college is well placed to develop the collection's use for scientific and educational purposes. We naturally gave very careful consideration to the impressive bid put forward by the East Mailing Trust. We were, however, forced to the conclusion that it would be preferable to continue to keep the national fruit collection separate from other Government and industry funded activities on the East Mailing site. It is in keeping with the collection's health status and current usage that it remains independent from the research and breeding at East Malling.

We have therefore decided that the collection should be transferred to Wye college. The transition will take about five years, during which the integrity of the genetic material will be properly safeguarded. In particular, the existing trees will not be removed until we are satisfied that transfer to the new site has been fully and satisfactorily accomplished.

Finally, as a further step towards the rationalisation of ADAS R and D facilities, Trawsgoed experimental husbandry farm, near Aberystwyth, Dyfed, will cease to operate as an ADAS experimental centre as from 31 March 1991. An announcement today by the Agricultural and Food Research Council outlines the council's future plans for grassland and environmental research, and makes reference to the Trawsgoed farm facilities and the part of the regional laboratory complex now surplus to ADAS reqirements. The latter was foreshadowed in the answer of my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Agriculture of 21 March and represents a successful outcome to the search of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales for alternative uses for the laboratory. Negotiations are in train to transfer to AFRC the farm and laboratory facilities which the council will require in order to implement its plans.

The Pwllpeiran site of the present combined Trawsgoed/Pwllpeiran EHF will not itself be affected by the changes at Trawsgoed. However, discussions on its future are taking place, in order to complete the programme of rationalisation in ADAS following the Government's withdrawal from funding of near-market R and D.