George Eustice: The government recognises the threats posed by invasive non-native species including Japanese knotweed and has a comprehensive Great Britain Non-native Species Strategy designed to tackle these threats, the first of its kind in Europe. Defra continues to fund a biocontrol programme through the release of a psyllid insect to tackle Japanese knotweed. If successful, the psyllid will reduce...
Mark Spencer: HM Government recognises the threats posed by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed, and has a comprehensive Great Britain Non-native Species Strategy designed to tackle these threats. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to allow the plant to escape or cause it to grow in the wild. HM Government has developed...
Therese Coffey: Japanese knotweed was first introduced into the UK in the early 19th century and is now widespread here and throughout most of Europe. It is not considered feasible to eradicate Japanese knotweed entirely from the UK but, with persistence, isolated populations can be eradicated. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise cause Japanese knotweed to grow...
Rory Stewart: ...are prepared to take, there have been no recent discussions between the Department and the property and mortgage industries. There have been no discussions with local authorities on the effect of Japanese knotweed on property values. However, Cornwall Council has produced information on Japanese knotweed to help mortgage lenders make loan decisions when a property may have a Japanese...
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government recognises the threats posed by invasive non-native species including Japanese knotweed and has a comprehensive Great Britain Non-native Species Strategy designed to tackle these threats, the first of its kind in Europe. Local Action Groups, with support from the Government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating Japanese knotweed. Increasing public awareness of...
Ben Bradshaw: I am aware of the problems caused by the spread of Japanese knotweed. The Department commissioned a new survey of plants in Britain and Ireland between 1987 and 1999 to produce updated 10-km square distribution maps of all plant species found in the wild. The results of this research were published in the New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora in September 2002. This included information on...
Barry Gardiner: DEFRA partially funded, and fully supports, the guidance set out in the Environment Agency's "Knotweed Code of Practice: Managing Japanese Knotweed on Development Sites", which was published in September 2006. This sets out advice on how to deal with Japanese knotweed to an acceptable standard of effectiveness. It also advises on relevant pesticide, environmental protection and controlled...
Pam Cameron: I beg to move That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to bring forward proposals for a regional programme to eradicate Japanese knotweed. I welcome the opportunity to propose the motion, and I hope that, in highlighting the issue, we can bring forward a strategy to deal with the problem of Japanese knotweed. By way of background, Japanese...
Therese Coffey: Gov.uk contains a guidance page that provides information on the identification and treatment of Japanese Knotweed as well as providing links to The Invasive Non-Native Specialists Association and Property Care Association website for further advice. The Non-Native Species Secretariat website includes general information on Japanese knotweed and has also made a good practice management...
George Eustice: The Department takes the problems caused by Japanese Knotweed very seriously and has taken a number of steps to tackle this invasive plant. Defra has provided funding of £390,000 for biocontrol work to tackle Japanese knotweed. A psyllid/insect, Aphalara itadori has been identified as a biocontrol agent capable of retarding the plant’s growth significantly and therefore reducing its...
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We continue to work closely with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) on researching and developing biological control methods for Japanese knotweed. Following extensive trials, we approved the release of the psyllid – Aphalara itadori in England to tackle Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica). We are also funding research into the fungal leaf-spot Mycosphaerella...
Richard Benyon: As can be seen on the National Biodiversity Network gateway at: http://data.nbn.org.uk Japanese knotweed has been recorded in the vast majority of 10 km squares in Britain. DEFRA does not hold information ranking its incidence according to local authority areas. Japanese knotweed is widespread throughout England and some local authorities particularly badly affected have taken specific action...
Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Network Rail are currently in the process of gathering data about historical Japanese knotweed instances, however there are currently 5138 distinct sites with active treatment of Japanese knotweed. The breakdown of complaints is as follows: 2019 – 25; 2018 – 62; 2017 – 42; 2016 – 72; 2015 – 73, not accounting for cases where a legal claim is made without a complaint. Some of these...
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: I would like to thank my noble friend for her persistence, which I think rivals the Japanese knotweed in its vigour and eradicability. Research is going on into a leaf spot fungus, which also has the capacity specifically-this is the key to biological control-to attack Japanese knotweed. Defra and the devolved Administrations are also supporting catchment scale control work on Japanese...
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: My Lords, Japanese knotweed is a tenacious species which is currently difficult to control on a large scale. Biocontrol agents have shown the potential to reduce the invasive capacity of Japanese knotweed and provide a cost-effective and time-effective way of managing this problem. We have been trialling biocontrol methods to control Japanese knotweed and are working to establish two highly...
George Adam: It may surprise the minister that many of my constituents have Japanese knotweed growing on land around their properties. Unchecked, it has the potential to cause serious damage. In many cases, the situation is that the minute Japanese knotweed appears, no one seems to own the land where it is growing. Should the owner of the land on which the Japanese knotweed is growing have to deal with...
Lord Greaves: My Lords, it is 30 years since Lady Sharples started asking questions about Japanese knotweed, and about 12 or 15 since I joined her, but all we get is the same answer every time: that this wonderful psyllid, Aphalara, will come galloping over the horizon and solve everything. It is absolutely clear that the problem of Japanese knotweed is getting worse and worse and causing more and more...
Michael Meacher: The Department is not currently undertaking any research specifically into biological control of Japanese knotweed. However, through the joint DEFRA/Environment Agency flood management research programme, the Government are supporting a programme of work relating to management and control of aquatic and riparian plants, including Japanese knotweed, by the Centre for Aquatic Plant Management....
Allan Wilson: Japanese knotweed is listed in Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is therefore an offence under the act to release the species into the wild, accidentally or deliberately. Action to be taken in relation to problems caused by Japanese knotweed is a matter for individual local authorities. The Scottish Executive is currently assessing key recommendations of the GB-wide...
Jacob Rees-Mogg: My hon. Friend has raised the point so very effectively. Japanese knotweed is the most common of four invasive knotweed plant species in the UK, and landowners have an obligation to stop knotweed on their land spreading from their property. Soil or plant material contaminated with non-native and invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed can cause ecological damage and may be classified as...