6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's use of psyllids in tackling Japanese knotweed? OAQ(5)0641(FM)

Progress has been made on the biocontrol of Japanese knotweed, including psyllid stocks from Japan. There are now better survival rates for the psyllids, as well, and that’s a key development in tackling knotweed. There are further releases of psyllids that are planned for the course of this year.

Can I thank the First Minister for his answer? As people are well aware both here, and definitely in Swansea, Swansea is very much the capital of knotweed. It’s not a title we particularly like. But it’s a huge problem within my constituency and the neighbouring constituency. I’m very pleased as to the success of the initial trial, but I wouldn’t be fulfilling my duty as a Swansea Member without saying: can I ask that, if further sites are being considered, sites in Swansea, which is one of the worst affected areas in Wales, are considered for these new sites?

As the Member knows, the trial site in Swansea is located in his constituency at Llansamlet, along a 450m section of the Nant Bran stream. Care has to be taken, of course, when releasing another non-native species to control an existing non-native species, as the Australians will tell you, given the plagues of frogs that they quite often—biblical, almost, plagues of frogs that they experience there. So, this has been done in a controlled way. We hope, of course, that this will be a successful way of controlling knotweed by a natural predator without, of course, that creating imbalance elsewhere in terms of biodiversity.

As we know, Japanese knotweed is a plant that has a negative impact not just on other plants, but on buildings, and, as a result, it can prevent people from getting a mortgage or insurance on their property. Given the damage caused by this plant, what is the Welsh Government’s overarching strategy when it comes to tackling this problem? Do you also agree with me that Natural Resources Wales should be responsible for tackling this issue? Because I understand that NRW has no statutory powers at all in order to tackle this particular plant.

Well, first of all, there is a group—a project board—that has been established to deal with knotweed. We are working with partners across the United Kingdom on that. The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, which is a non-profit-making institute, is carrying out scientific and research work on behalf of the project board at the moment. So, work is ongoing and Natural Resources Wales is part of that work.

First Minister, it’s estimated that around £200 million has been spent in the UK alone trying to tackle Japanese knotweed, which causes around £170 million-worth of damage to property each year. The psyllid trials are very promising, but, if the insect can successfully establish itself in the UK, it will only tame knotweed, not eradicate it. What more can the Welsh Government do to support Swansea University in their search to find ways to ensure that knotweed is eradicated and no longer threatens the property of our constituents?

We have supported a two-year trial at Swansea, examining the chemical and mechanical control of Japanese knotweed. Discussions are taking place at the moment with the university to improve our control advice in line with those findings.