§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the number of miles of hedgerow removed by farmers since the enactment of the Hedgerows Regulations 1997. [34938]
§ Angela EagleThe information requested is not available. We are considering, in consultation with representatives of local government, what information should be collected centrally in relation to the operation of the Hedgerows Regulations 1997.
A survey of hedgerow stock will be undertaken this year as part of the Countryside Survey 2000. This will provide a basis for analysing changes which have occurred since the last comparable survey, which covered the years 1990 to 1993.