§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names and areas of the forests which have been sprayed against infestation with pine beauty moth caterpillars in each of the last 10 years; which areas have had to be sprayed more than once; and what areas of forest have been destroyed by this insect.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 30 June 1993]: The forests that have been treated against pine beauty moth in the past 10 years are listed in the table; full information for 1993 is not yet available. Lodgepole pine was the only species of tree infested, and there have been no instances of the pine being attacked by the moth where it has been planted in mixture with other species.
Parts of North Dalchork, South Dalchork, Inveroykel, Truderscaig and Rimsdale have been sprayed more than once, as shown in the table.
About 750 hectares of woodland have been killed by the pest over the period, of which about 600 hectares were on the isle of Lewis.
608W
Woodland Area (ha) 1984 0 1985 Strathrannoch 132 Garbat 707 North Dalchork 2,264 Inveroykel 481 Truderscaig 784 Badenoch 66 Achentoul Estate 252 Ben Armine Estate 98 1986 Creag Dubh 27 Badenoch 39 Braemore 50 South Dalchork 269 Truderscaig 447
Woodland Area (ha) Achentoul 196 Ben Armine 98 Strath Rannoch 34 Inveroykel 570 North Dalchork 338 Creag Dubh 20 Fiag 45 , Strath Cuilleanach 93 Suisgill 320 Fiag 45 North Dalchork 12 Strathrannoch 155 1987 Braemore 180 Caplich 122 Dalnessie 27 Rimsdale 448 South Dalchork 65 Poulary 473 Inveroykel 573 Syre 136 North Dalchork 130 South Dalchork 111 1988 Copaig 371 Cnoc a' Moid 184 Truderscaig 229 1989 0 1990 0 1991 Truderscaig 85 1992 Isle of Lewis 109 1993 Isle of Lewis North Dalchork Achrugan Rimsdale Badenoch Suisgill Total area about 3,500
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what chemicals have been used to spray forestry plantations against infestation with pine beauty moth caterpillars; what studies have been made of the effects of these chemicals on birds; and with what results.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 30 June 1993]: Two chemicals have been used: Fenitrothion and Dimilin. A biological control agent, Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus, which is specific to the pine beauty moth, has also been used.
Fenitrothion is an organophosphate insecticide which affects arthropods. Dimilin prevents arthropods from moulting successfully between different development stages; it has no effect on other organisms, including birds. Both chemicals were comprehensively tested by the manufacturers for their effects on other wildlife, including birds, before they were approved for use by the pesticides safety directorate.
Futher studies on the possible effects of Fenitrothion on birds were carried out by staff of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These 609W studies concluded that there was no evidence that use of the chemical against pine beauty moth caterpillars had caused any reduction in the numbers of the common breeding birds in pine plantations in Scotland, nor had there been any statistically significant changes in the numbers of birds in the area immediately after spraying.