Written question asked by Lord Framlingham (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 May 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 10 June 2016. It was answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Conservative) on Thursday, 9 June 2016 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Plants: Imports

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase awareness amongst travellers at all points of entry to the UK of the threat from imported plant diseases to trees in the UK.

Answer

The Government is committed to doing all it can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders. We work collaboratively with the international community, industry, NGOs, landowners and the public to raise awareness and reduce the risks of pests and diseases entering the country.

Evidence suggests that campaigns to raise awareness amongst travellers should place emphasis on pre-border communications, consistent with action at the border to reinforce messages and make compliance easier and target specific risk groups.

At UK points of entry, Border Force display the rules on what travellers can bring in on leaflets, posters and plasma screens to make compliance and action at the border easier to enforce. Defra and Border Force are committed to work together and reduce illegal imports of biosecurity risk material by strengthening effectiveness and efficiency of import controls and targeting risk material at the border.

Defra will continue with social media-led public information campaigns over the summer months targeted at travellers to make them aware of the strict rules in place to protect Britain from pests and diseases that affect plants.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL369
Session: 2016-17
Subjects: Diseases Disease control Imports Publicity Plants Trees
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Plants: Imports

Secondary information

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