HC Deb 03 March 1999 vol 326 cc792-3W
Mr. Maclean

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the research reports on rabbits he has received since May 1997 and the research studies currently in progress; and if he will make a statement on(a) the use which he intends to make of the research and (b) the main conclusions of the studies. [73322]

Mr. Rooker

A list of research reports received since May 1997, together with their main conclusions and the use that will be made of the results, is as follows:

  1. Irreversible immunocontraception for the control of wild rabbits—University of Sheffield.
  2. The contractor was unsuccessful in developing a fully effective technique. Further development is being undertaken as part of the project "Antigen delivery systems for the control of wild rabbits".
  3. 2. Developing humane, environmentally acceptable and cost-effective methods of rabbit control—Central Science Laboratory (CSL).
  4. An effective multi-capture cage has been developed. A manufacturer will be undertaking small-scale trials this winter to assess the efficacy of the cage. If these are successful, negotiations on a licence for commercial exploitation may commence.
  5. An advisory leaflet for farmers on the cause of rabbit fending was produced.
  6. A safer and more cost-effective method of fumigating rabbit burrows, which is also safer for operators and the environment, has been developed. The method is currently being discussed with industry with regard to commercial exploitation.
  7. 3. Modelling rabbit populations and designing integrated control packages—CSL.
  8. An existing mathematical model addressing the optimisation of control techniques was refined. The model was field tested and was found to be accurate except where myxomatosis was prevalent; at these locations, populations surviving after control were generally less than predicted by the model. The results from this project are being combined with those from the project "Predicting damage to crops by rabbits" under the new project "Developing a rabbit management expert system".
  9. 4. Predicting damage to crops by rabbits—CSL.
  10. Results from crop preference trials involving winter wheat, winter barley, oats, rye, triticale, oilseed rape and spring barley showed that triticale and spring barley were least grazed. Comparing losses of winter wheat and spring barley suggests that at densities of rabbits greater than 10 per hectare (a fairly light infestation) it would be more profitable to grow spring barley. At levels below 10 per hectare, it is possible to grow winter wheat profitably.
  11. "No choice" feeding trials using constant numbers of rabbits gave estimates of financial losses of £2.40 per rabbit per hectare for both grass and spring barley.
  12. The results from this project should be regarded as interim. They are currently being refined in the project "Developing a rabbit management expert system".

The following research projects are in progress:

  • Developing a visual scaring device to deter rabbits.
  • Developing a method for assessing the size of rabbit populations.
  • Developing a rabbit management expert system.
  • Rabbit behaviour and population dynamics at fenced hot-spots.
  • The impact of viral haemorrhagic disease on wild rabbit populations.
  • Antigen delivery systems for the control of fertility in rabbits.
  • Reversion of arable land to grass and Calluna health rabbit grazing aspects.

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been his Department's expenditure on research on rabbits since May 1997. [73323]

Mr. Rooker

The Ministry's expenditure on research on rabbits for the period 1 May 1997 to 28 February 1999 was about £523,000.

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