§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking with statutory and voluntary organisations to ensure the protection of red squirrels wherever they currently exist within the United Kingdom. [HL2447]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)The red squirrel is the subject of one of 391 species action plans prepared as part of the UK biodiversity action plan. The UK Red Squirrel Group, a partnership of public private and voluntary organisations led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, is responsible for delivery of the red squirrel action plan.
The UK Red Squirrel Group has consulted widely among scientists, woodland managers and conservation bodies on a prioritisation process for the UK's surviving red squirrel populations. This identified the areas where action to maintain red squirrels is most likely to be effective in the long term including the Isle of Wight, the Poole harbour islands and the north Tyne area. The continuing expansion of 116WA the grey squirrel is to be expected and red squirrel conservation is focused on limiting that expansion in areas where the two species overlap. Some significant progress has been made in developing more effective and targeted ways of defending healthy populations of red squirrels against replacement by the grey squirrel.
In northern England, the priorities have now been translated into management plans for key forest areas, where we believe a combination of large-scale habitat management in forests and buffer areas allied to surveillance and targeted grey squirrel control gives the red squirrel the best chance of survival. These plans will form the basis of a bid for heritage lottery funding within the next few months by a consortium of government agencies, wildlife trusts and private landowners.
The Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Forum, led by the Isle of Wight Council, has drawn up an action plan for the red squirrel population on the island. The plan, which is supported by the UK Red Squirrel Group, includes contingency arrangements that will trigger immediate actions in the event of grey squirrel incursions. The owners and managers of Poole harbour islands are working with the Forestry Commission and English Nature on a joint Poole harbour red squirrel management plan, including contingency arrangements in the event of a grey squirrel incursion.
The Forestry Commission is currently engaged in the preparation of a policy statement on grey squirrels. This is one of the commitments made in the response to the recommendations contained in the Sustaining England's Woodlands review.