§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the prevalence of flatworms from New Zealand in soil; what assessment he has made of the potential damage to soil the presence of this worm presents; and what action he proposes to take to protect soil fertility.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 22 January 1990]I have been asked to reply.
Agricultural Departments are aware of the press reports. These worms need damp conditions and are unlikely to survive in well drained agricultural land. They appear to be established in Northern Ireland and there have been sporadic sightings in Scotland over a considerable length of time. The latest recorded sighting in England was in 1965. The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland is studying ways of controlling them.