Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department is making in removing rhododendron bushes infected with Ramorum blight. [170720]

George Eustice, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs: Current surveillance activity includes inspection or survey of wholesale and retail nurseries, ports, parks, gardens and the wider environment to identify and control new outbreaks. Extended surveys are also conducted around known Rhododendron ponticum outbreak sites and around positive larch sites to locate any Rhododendron ponticum. Eradication activity is based around landowners removing infected sporulating Rhododendron ponticum where identified by surveillance. Further Rhododendron ponticum clearance is being undertaken by landowners, via the Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) schemes administered by the Forestry Commission, where it is in association with previous or ongoing infection and therefore considered a high risk of increasing inoculum levels.

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