Consultation on future management of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae

Ground Floor, Foss House,
Kings Pool,
1-2 Peasholme Green,
York, YO1 7PX
Telephone: 01904 455182
Website: www.defra.gov.uk/planth

15 July 2008

Consultation on future management of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae

1. I am writing to invite views on the right way to manage the risks from two fungal pathogens of plants - Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae.

The following documents may be found on Defra’s website at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/phytophthora-ram-kern/

  • Consultation letter
  • List of consultees
  • Consultation paper
  • Pest risk assessment for each disease
  • Partial Impact Assessment

2. This consultation is relevant to a wide cross-section of people and organisations, including relevant trade bodies, importers of plants, commercial growers, owners and managers of woodland, heathland, historic gardens and private householders and other groups we know to have an interest in the host plants of these diseases.

3. Defra and the Forestry Commission are the lead departments in managing the diseases in England; the Scottish Government Rural Directorate and the National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department share responsibility with the Forestry Commission in their respective territories.

4. This consultation applies to England and Wales only.  An equivalent exercise is being undertaken in parallel in Scotland.

Background

5. Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae are thought to have arrived in the UK within the last ten to twenty years and have the potential to kill native trees and cause serious disease on garden shrubs. The current policy is one of containment and eradication.  After 5 years of executing this policy the diseases are continuing to spread, albeit slowly and mainly in the southern and western part of Great Britain. 

6. This consultation exercise provides an opportunity to contribute to a review of our policy towards the diseases and comment on options for management of the disease in the future.

7. We will be interested to receive comments on all aspects concerning Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae, but are particularly interested in replies to the questions outlined in the consultation paper.  We are  also interested in views on the partial Impact Assessment and whether the figures included in that document reflect reasonable estimates.  This is particularly important, as the outcome of the Impact Assessment will have a strong influence on the development of future policy .

Responses

8. Please send responses to Margaret O’Donnell at the address given above, or email them to phytophthora.consultation@planthealth.defra.gsi.gov.uk

9. Responses should be received by 10 October  at the latest.

Consultation meetings

10. Defra and the Forestry Commission are intending to hold consultation meetings to discuss this issue, initial meetings have been arranged in Cornwall on 29 July and in London on 31 July.  A further meeting may be held in York towards the end of the consultation period.  Details of the meetings can be seen at www.fera.defra.gov.uk. Please let Margaret O’Donnell know if you would be interested in attending such a meeting.

Consultation criteria

11. This consultation has been prepared in line with the Government’s code of practice which can be found at http://www.berr.gov.uk/bre/

12. When this consultation ends, we intend to put a copy of the responses in the Defra library at Ergon House, London. This is so that the public can see them.  Also, members of the public may ask for a copy of responses under freedom of information legislation.

13. If you do not want your response - including your name, contact details and any other personal information – to be publicly available, please say so clearly in writing when you send your response to the consultation.  Please note, if your computer automatically includes a confidentiality disclaimer, that won’t count as a confidentiality request.

14. Please explain why you need to keep details confidential.  We will take your reasons into account if someone asks for this information under freedom of information legislation. But, because of the law, we cannot promise that we will always be able to keep those details confidential.  We will summarise all responses and place this summary on our website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/phytophthora-ram-kern/.  This summary will include a list of names of organisations that responded but not people’s personal names, addresses or other contact details. 

15. To see consultation responses and summaries, please contact the library at:

Defra
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Telephone: 020-7238-6575
Email:  defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Please give the library 24 hours’ notice.  There is a charge for photocopying and postage.

16. If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, please address them to Marjorie Addo, Defra’s Consultation Co-ordinator, Area 7C Nobel House,17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR, or email consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Hunter
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Page published: 15 July 2008