Ragwort Control Act 2003

The Ragwort Control Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
It creates guidance as a Code of Practice on Ragwort Control, but does not force control, create a responsibility to control or make growing the plant a criminal offence. Common ragwort is considered an "injurious weed" that is harmful to the interests of agriculture.
The first version of the code of practice was published in 2004. This guidance only applied to England.

Section 1 - Control of ragwort

This section inserts section 1A of the Weeds Act 1959 which enables the Minister applies only to England and is set out in documents with additional Guidance on Disposal issued on 15 March 2011 followed by an addendum of 18 April 2012.

Section 2 - Wales

Section 2 provides that the reference to the Weeds Act 1959 in Schedule 1 to the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 is to be treated as referring to that Act as amended by the Ragwort Control Act 2003. Section 2 provides that this does not affect the power to make further Orders varying or omitting that reference.

Section 3 - Short title, commencement and extent

Section 3 provides that the Act came into force at the end of the period of three months that began on the date on which it was passed. The word "months" means calendar months. The day on which the Act was passed is included in the period of three months. This means that the Act came into force on 20 February 2004.

Controversy

Country Life questioned the effectiveness of this Act in 2006.