Let's hope the Welsh Assembly Government, known universally as the WAG, haven't made this mistake. The website of the magazine Smallholder is running a story about the WAG saying,
"The Welsh Assembly Government wishes to remind all landowner/occupiers, Local Authorities, Trunk Road Agencies and Network Rail that they have a statutory responsibility to prevent and control the spread of ragwort under the Weeds Act 1959. "
This is definitely incorrect. They are , like many public authorities, wrong about the Weeds Act. It most clearly doesn't place any automatic statutory duty on anyone!
The story hasn't turned up elsewhere so it may not have gone generally to the press. Even so if they have been putting out this falsehood I can think of some people who will be dogging the WAG about it!
The WAG has a legal responsibility to promote sustainability by putting out this misinformation they are encouraging people to destroy a valuable resource for biodiversity. What about the wildlife that depends on this native plant. What about the other misidentified plants that will be destroyed. As was documented recently.
Just in case there is any doubt about the law on ragwort , you can read the full text of The Weeds Act 1959
"The Welsh Assembly Government wishes to remind all landowner/occupiers, Local Authorities, Trunk Road Agencies and Network Rail that they have a statutory responsibility to prevent and control the spread of ragwort under the Weeds Act 1959. "
This is definitely incorrect. They are , like many public authorities, wrong about the Weeds Act. It most clearly doesn't place any automatic statutory duty on anyone!
The story hasn't turned up elsewhere so it may not have gone generally to the press. Even so if they have been putting out this falsehood I can think of some people who will be dogging the WAG about it!
The WAG has a legal responsibility to promote sustainability by putting out this misinformation they are encouraging people to destroy a valuable resource for biodiversity. What about the wildlife that depends on this native plant. What about the other misidentified plants that will be destroyed. As was documented recently.
Just in case there is any doubt about the law on ragwort , you can read the full text of The Weeds Act 1959
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