Ragwort (Hansard, 17 July 2003)

§ Mr. Jamieson

I have asked the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member

Letter from Richard Bennett to Mr. Gregory Barker, dated 17 July 2003: I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the clearance of ragwort along the A21, the A259 and other trunk roads in your constituency. The clearance of ragwort on the trunk road network is carried out by the Highways Agency's Managing Agent Contractor as pan of their routine maintenance responsibilities. They carry out daily routine inspections of the network 10 identify general defects on the network including the presence of ragwort. Areas affected by ragwort are sprayed using herbicide during the main growing season and where appropriate cutting or weeding by hand of affected areas is also carried out, usually three times a year. Priority is given to the control of ragwort on highway land which is adjacent to or near agricultural or grazing land. The only trunk roads in the Bexhill and Battle areas are the A21 and A259. All other roads in the area are local roads for which East Sussex County Council is responsible as the local highway authority. The removal of ragwort alongside these roads is a matter for the local highway authority to consider Ragwort is a growing problem on the truck road network and we have recently issued a press release which sets out how we intend to combat the problem. I enclose a copy of the press release for your information. You will see from the press release we spend in the region of one million annually to control ragwort The managing agent for this area changed on 1st June and we have not been able to identify the cost of clearing ragwort on the specific routes you identify. However, expenditure so far this year for the area covered by the contractor (Kent, Surrey, West and East Sussex) is estimated at around £30,000 I hope this is helpful

616W

News release

Pretty But Poisonous: Highways Agency Tackles Ragwort

Ragwort's bright yellow flowers are a colourful sight on roadside verges, but the plant has a more sinister side. Livestock in Britain are at risk of poisoning from common ragwort, so the Highways Agency is working to reduce ragwort growth on the verges of England's motorways and major trunk roads and to prevent the plant from spreading its seed. Ragwort grows through two distinct stages—the rosette stage from germination to the end of May and the stem-flower stage from June onwards. The rosette stage is the early stage of growth where the ragwort is less noticeable but still poisonous with a dense rosette of leaves close to the ground. The Highways Agency is using a two-step attack to deal with both stages of growth. The rosettes are being sprayed with an herbicide during May and June, and later, contractors will return to hand pull the older, more mature plants to prevent their seeds being dispersed. The Highways Agency's environmental policy advisor Tony Sangwine said: Ragwort is a difficult plant to combat as it is almost impossible to eradicate, at best it can be controlled. The seeds are very robust and can lie dormant in the soil for up to 20 years and so Ragwort grows unexpectedly in many different places. They can be carried for miles in the wind, and so as part of our work to control the problem, we encourage landowners to remove Ragwort from their land to try and prevent reinvasion. The Highways Agency takes this perennial problem very seriously as Common Ragwort can pose a serious threat to equines and livestock, and there is no specific treatment once an animal shows symptoms of poisoning. The Highways Agency spends in the region of £1 million each year to help control the spread of Ragwort along the 5,841 miles of trunk roads and motorways it operates in England, and supports the British Horse Society's (BHS) annual 'Ragwort Action Week' campaign.

Notes to Editors

1. The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport, which manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State. It works closely with other transport operators and with local authorities to integrate the trunk road network with the rest of England's roads and other forms of transport. More information is available at www.highways.gov.uk 2. Sections of the following route verges will be timetabled for treatment: A27, A249, M20, M23 3. Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea L.) is one of the five injurious weeds specified in the Weeds Act 1959. Landowners have a duty of care to prevent it spreading. 4. Ragwort is normally a biennial (rosette—spring 1st year; flowering—July/August 2nd year). The rosette stage is the early stage of growth where the ragwort is at its most poisonous and has a dense rosette of leaves close to the ground. In the stem-flower stage, the plant grows between 30cm and 100cm high with clustered bright yellow flowers. 5. Each plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds with a 70% germination rate. Ragworts seeds can be domant in the soil for up to 20 years. 6. Equines and bovines are more susceptible to ragwort poisoning than other livestock. Little can be done for the animal once the symptoms appear. Young animals are more susceptible than mature animals. 7. Ragwort acts as a cumulative poison, eventually destroying the liver. A small intake of ragwort over a long period can be just as damaging as a large intake on a single occasion. Issued by Highways Agency's South East Press and PR Office. 617W Media enquiries to: Melese Glazer on 01306 878 110 melese.glazer@highways.gsi.gov.uk or Cosima Duggal on 01306 878 42442 cosima.duggal@highways.gsi.gov.uk