Trees: Ips typographus Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville
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Trees: Ips typographus
Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville Excerpts(3 years, 1 month ago)
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Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (LD)
My Lords, the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle is only 4.2 millimetres to 5.5 millimetres long and therefore very difficult to spot and identify. How can the Government be absolutely sure that it is not more widespread than the demarcated areas to the south and east of London?
Lord Benyon (Con)
I am very happy for the noble Baroness to have a detailed briefing on the measures we are taking, but we have an extensive trapping system, using pheromone traps to attract the beetle. We are counting it in infected sites and working in the containment area and beyond to make sure that it is not spreading. The phytosanitary measures we have put in to retain diseased timber in that region are also very important.