Written question asked by Greg Knight (Conservative) on Monday, 9 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 11 October 2006. It was answered by Barry Gardiner (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 October 2006 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Ragwort

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with whom he has consulted on the Code of Practice under the Ragwort Control Act 2003.

Answer: The Code of Practice was published in July 2004. Defra worked with The British Horse Society, English Nature, Wildlife and Countryside Link, ADAS, the British Beekeepers Association, Network Rail and representatives of Local Government to draw up the Code. There was also a formal public consultation on the Code as required by the provisions of the Ragwort Control Act 2003. Further details are available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/ragwort/index.htm.

Secondary information