Written question asked by David Lidington (Conservative) on Monday, 15 September 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 October 2003. It was answered by Baroness Beckett (Labour) on Monday, 6 October 2003 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research she has commissioned to discover for how long phytophthora ramorum has been present in rhododendrons and related plants in this country.

Answer: Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned to discover for how long Phytophthora ramorum has been present in rhododendrons and related plants in this country. [130855] Margaret Beckett: It is unlikely that we will be able to determine exactly how long Phytophthora ramorum has been present in rhododendrons and related plants in this country. However, surveys are currently being conducted to establish how widespread the disease is and this may give an indication of how long it has been present. In addition, the literature has been reviewed for records of Phytophthora species on rhododendrons in the UK. The established authority "Pathogens of Trees and Shrubs" by Pearce, published in 1963, states that at that time there was no evidence of any Phytophthora on rhododendrons. The first record of a Phytophthora species on this host was in 1968. Phytophthora ramorum was first described as a new species in October 2001 and first found in the UK in April 2002.

Secondary information