Ash Dieback Disease

Thérèse Coffey Excerpts
Monday 29th October 2012

(12 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Heath Portrait Mr Heath
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I am afraid that the hon. Lady simply is not correct. I have explained the sequence of events and the fact that we have in no way reduced the resources available for plant and tree health.

Thérèse Coffey Portrait Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)
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Pound farm in Suffolk is a mile from my constituency boundary, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (Dr Poulter). Will the Minister update the House on what proactive policies are being put in place for local home owners and residents? Will there be a proactive felling and burning policy, and how will it be communicated?

David Heath Portrait Mr Heath
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We certainly need to communicate with local people who have forestry interests and trees on their property about what they should be looking for. I will not pre-empt the discussions with the experts on the ground about precisely what is the right action to take, but I assure my hon. Friend that we will apply all available resources to the problem, because we do not want it to spread further if we can possibly avoid it.