Japanese Knotweed Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lord Flight
Main Page: Lord Flight (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Flight's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(12 years, 1 month ago)
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Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The noble Lord makes a very important point. Japanese knotweed is a pest and it is extremely difficult to eliminate. However, I remind the noble Lord that this House guards jealously the right of entry. I remember many debates on that issue and I am not sure that this House would be particularly happy to have people’s gardens invaded by enforcement officers in the way that he suggests.
Lord Flight
My Lords, when I read this excellent Question of the noble Baroness, Lady Sharples, I wondered whether it was code for the knotweed growth regulation that was debilitating our economy.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
As my noble friend will know, Defra has been extremely vigorous in responding to the red tape challenge. Indeed, the red tape regulatory reduction targets of this Government are being vigorously enforced. Unfortunately, we do not have a psyllid that we can apply to them.