Policy paper

Tree health and plant biosecurity expert taskforce: Interim report

Interim report ensuring Defra has access to the current and robust evidence to inform decisions on dealing with tree and plant disease.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 30 November 2012
• Last updated: 19 April 2013 — See all updates

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Documents

Interim Report - Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce

Ref: PB13842

PDF, 373 KB, 40 pages

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Details

The Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce is an independent group, drawn from key members of the academic community. It brings a multi-disciplinary perspective to ensure Defra has access to the most up-to-date and robust evidence to inform decisions on dealing with tree and plant disease.

A final report on its strategic view of the evidence addressing all of its aims will be produced in Spring 2013.

Its recommendations are: 

• Develop a prioritised UK Risk Register for tree health and plant biosecurity
• Strengthen biosecurity to reduce risks at the border and within the UK
• Appoint a Chief Plant Health Officer to own the UK Risk Register and provide strategic and tactical leadership for managing those risks
• Review, simplify and strengthen governance and legislation
• Maximise the use of epidemiological intelligence from EU/other regions and work to improve the EU regulations concerned with tree and plant biosecurity
• Develop and implement procedures for preparedness and contingency planning to predict, monitor and control the spread of disease
• Develop a modern, user-friendly, expert system to provide quick and intelligent access to data about tree health and plant biosecurity
• Identify and address key skills shortages

Further information

• Interim Chalara Control Plan
• More about Chalara and how you can help - Forestry Commission

Published 30 November 2012
Last updated 19 April 2013 + show all updates

1. 19 April 2013

   Changed pub date to 30 Nov 2012

2. 30 November 2012

   First published.