SOME 100,000 ash trees have been felled in an effort to stop the spread of a deadly disease, which threatens to wipe out the species, MPs have been told.
Environment Minister David Heath said ash dieback could have “enormous potential consequences” as he confirmed a ban on imports of the species. But shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh accused the government of being “asleep on the job” for not taking action at an earlier stage.
Mr Heath was summoned to the Commons to answer Ms Creagh’s urgent question on the action taken to control the spread of the disease, which is starting to appear throughout the UK and has reached parts of Scotland.
Caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus, the disease was first identified in ash trees in the UK in nurseries and recently-planted sites, including a car park and a college campus.
