§ Mr. GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many prosecutions have been made under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the illegal release of Schedule 9 plants. [108300]
§ Mr. MullinProsecutions under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are brought by the police, and it is not a requirement for them to notify this Department of any such prosecutions. The Department has no record of any section 14 prosecutions in respect of plants.
§ Mr. GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many licences have been issued under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for release of Schedule 9 plants. [108299]
§ Mr. MullinIn the last five years one licence has been issued under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the release of Schedule 9 plants. This was for an experimental release of Japanese knotweed, "Fallopia japonica", at a single site in Cheshire to assess the plant's competitive abilities against native weed species.
§ Mr. GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his estimate is of the cost of controlling invasive plants which are(a) scheduled and (b) unscheduled under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [108301]
§ Mr. MullinInformation about the cost of controlling invasive plants, whether scheduled or not, is not co-ordinated centrally and therefore is not available.