Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department is funding into an antidote for ash dieback disease. [155111]

Mr Heath, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food: The process to evaluate the possible usefulness against Chalara of various chemical treatments submitted by a number of producers is covered in the Chalara Management Plan, published on 26 March. Based on scientific advice and other European countries' experience of Chalara we are advised against expecting to find a treatment that can be widely applied to protect woodland or treat an infected wood or forest. However, in some circumstances treatments may have a role in protecting individual trees or groups of trees, or reducing production of spores, level of damage and rate of spread.

Out of a total of more than 80 products that were suggested to DEFRA and the Forestry Commission as possible treatments for ash dieback, 14 will be tested in the laboratory at the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera). Some of these products along with two others, potassium phosphite and urea, will be tested in field studies using potted ash trees. The purpose of these studies is to investigate how effective the products are at preventing infestation by this disease.

The shortlist of products includes examples of the fungicide groups that are considered most likely to be effective and, where possible, products with a single active ingredient have been preferred to mixtures for the purpose of the laboratory screen.

Further details of the actual products and how they were selected are available on the Fera website:

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/pestsDiseases/chalaraInf...

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