§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Highways Agency about the control of ragwort; and if she will make a statement. [161106]
§ Alun MichaelDefra has regular contact with the Highways Agency about the control of Ragwort. I wrote to the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency in September 2002 reminding the Agency of the need to take effective action to control ragwort growing on the verges of motorways and other trunk roads to prevent the risks to horses and other livestock from ragwort poisoning. More recently, the Highways Agency was consulted on the draft Code of Practice to prevent the spread of ragwort, which I launched at the Hickstead Horse Show in July last year and responded positively.
The Highways Agency will be among those consulted when the revised code is issued for formal public consultation as required by the Ragwort Control Act. Finally, following the changes that I made in the way that Defra investigates complaints about injurious weeds, my officials have been working with the Highways Agency to streamline the way complaints from the public are handled. As a result the Highways Agency has established a central telephone point for all complaints involving ragwort and other injurious weeds growing on the verges of motorways and other trunk roads. This number has been included in Defra Weeds Act guidance leaflet.