§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received relating to recent changes in the level of the rat population in Wales; what estimate he has made of the estimated rat population in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [20615]
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§ Mr. HagueNone. Annual figures on rat populations are not collected centrally. The 1993 national rodent survey of England and Wales, conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health estimated the percentages of properties with a rat presence at 7.6 per cent. for north Wales and 4.6 per cent. for south Wales. The average for England and Wales is 4.8 per cent.