The Minister of Public works today blamed a weedkiller ban for overgrown vegetation at the island’s roadsides.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch said that the ban on glyphosate herbicides would remain in force.

But he added the Department of Environment and Natural Resources would grant a licence to the Ministry of Public Works to allow it to import restricted concentrated forms of glyphosphate weedkller if conditions were fulfilled.

Colonel Burch the House of Assembly: “Considerable research and monitoring has occurred both locally and internationally to support the use of glyphosate herbicide with certain conditions and monitoring and those conditions will be met.”

• To read Colonel Burch’s statement in full, click on the PDF under “Related Media”