BPCA has repeated the survey it first conducted in 2012 using the Freedom of Information Act to compel all Local Authorities to reply. The 2012 report certainly caused some controversy, with some councils feeling that they had been, inappropriately, singled-out as the pest capitals of their region/the UK.
Will this year’s report cause a stir? Well It rather depends how the press interprets it. Here”s what the press release announcing the results said, so you can judge for yourselves:
| A warning that cuts in pest control services could pose a risk to public health has been issued by the British Pest Control Association following a nationwide survey of local authorities.
The BPCA made Freedom of Information Act requests to every local authority in the UK, asking for information about the numbers of call-outs council pest controllers had attended in 2012. The information has been gathered and analysed, highlighting what pests have most affected which areas, while also revealing what the BPCA have called “a worrying trend” that councils are cutting or out-sourcing pest control services as they attempt to balance their budgets. BPCA Chief Executive, Simon Forrester, said: “There are many localised reasons why an area could have a high prevalence of a certain pest, but we’re concerned that at a national level pest control services are being cut. “Local authorities are under immense strain to come up with savings. The BPCA wants to make sure this doesn’t have an impact on public health. “If a council stops providing pest control services it is important the public uses a reputable expert such as a BPCA member. |
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“The BPCA is very keen to make sure that short-term budget cuts don’t result in much higher overall costs down the line. “If an infestation isn’t dealt with quickly and properly, it will spread. Dealing with it then is much more expensive and it carries a greater risk to public health. “More councils are starting to charge for pest control services, but this raises the question of whether residents can afford to pay at a time when real household incomes have been hit so badly. “If residents try to deal with issues themselves, or bring in unqualified controllers because they are cheap, infestations will get out of hand. “In the end, councils will have to step in because of their duty of care responsibilities and it will end up costing them much more than dealing with the problem properly in the first place.” Download a copy of the BPCA National Survey 2013 Executive Summary. |
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