§ Mr. AdleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the research programme into Dutch elm disease; and if there are any prospects for the elimination thereof.
§ Mr. RyderThe Forestry Commission continues to commit significant resources to research on Dutch elm disease, which complements research being carried out in other countries. There is no prospect of eliminating the disease, and the commission's research programme is 293W mainly aimed at finding ways of reducing its incidence. In addition, work is being conducted on the potential role of disease-resistant elms.