§ MR. ALEXANDER CROSS (Glasgow, Camlachie)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that by the order of Mr. Fellowes Gordon, of Knockespock, an osprey, a bird of great rarity and said to have only two breeding places in Scotland, 1378 was shot recently, in contravention of the Wild Birds Act; that, upon a prosecution being instituted before the Aberdeen Sheriff Court, the gamekeeper, who was found guilty, was fined £1, whilst the dead osprey is worth £20 or £25 as a specimen; and whether, in view of the rarity of these birds, the Government can see its way to increase the penalty for their destruction.
§ * MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYI am aware of the case referred to by the hon. Member in the first paragraph of his question, and the whole occurrence was a very regrettable one on the part of people who might have been expected to know better. I am not aware whether the value of the bird is so high as stated by the hon. Member, but if acts of this class are persisted in, the Secretary for Scotland thinks there will be a strong case for proposing legislation with the object of increasing the penalty.
AN HON. MEMBERCannot the right hon. Gentleman suggest to the magistrates the desirability of inflicting as severe penalties as possible in these cases?
§ * MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYI cannot answer for the moment, but I think the maximum penalty under the Act is a very low one.