§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what length of hedgerow has been lost in England each year since 1979.
§ Mr. AtkinsReliable figures are not available in the form requested. However, two surveys carried out for my Department covering the periods 1984–1990 and 1990–1993 indicated net losses of hedgerow in England of 85,000 km and 49,000 km respectively. These figures include losses caused by lack of management as well as by deliberate removal. The latest survey showed that the rate of removal of hedges during 1990–93 more than halved compared with 1984–90.