Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to stop the spread of Phytophthoras in woodlands since May 2015; and if he will make a statement.

In England we have been actively managing Phytophthora ramorum, and Phytophthora kernovie since 2009 to minimise the spread of these pathogens.

Phytophthora ramorum is distributed across the UK with most infected sites currently occurring in northwest, southern and western England. Our activity is focused on risk based aerial and ground surveillance to identify infection in the wider environment. Where infection is found, landowners are issued with Statutory Plant Health Notices to fell infected larch and rhododendron. There are also specific measures that regulate the movement and processing of larch infected with Phytophthora ramorum, in order to prevent the spread through the trade in larch timber and related products.

We are also working closely with key stakeholders on the issue to help manage the disease, share good practice, improve biosecurity and carry out research to understand more about the pathogen.

We are currently undertaking a fundamental review of the Phytophthora programme which will be completed in 2018.