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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement notices were served under the Weeds Act 1959 in respect of ragwort in each of the last three years; and to whom they were served in each such year.

The number of enforcement notices served under the Weeds Act 1959 in 2013, 2012 and 2011 is as follows:

Enforcement is a last resort and where possible we encourage communications between landowners and complainants to try and resolve the issue. In the vast majority of cases this approach is successful.

The names of those who have been served with enforcement notices are withheld in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.