§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether his attention had been called to the serious depredations by pigeons upon rape, turnip and swede tops, clover, and other farm crops throughout Wiltshire and in parts of the adjoining counties; whether he is aware that such depredations have resulted in the loss of the bulk of natural food for the young lambs over a very large tract of sheep land where the sheep are of exceptionally high commercial value; whether he is aware that the recent organised local attempts at their destruction have not materially reduced the enormous number of these migrant birds, but have only driven them into other areas not previously attacked; and whether the Board will take steps, either by organising the simultaneous destruction of these birds over the whole country or by placing a premium upon their destruction by gamekeepers and others, to put an effectual stop to the damage which they are now causing?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe answer to the first and second parts is in the affirmative. The Beard have no information as to the numbers destroyed. The Board have no funds at their disposal which would enable them to carry out the suggestion contained in the last part of the hon. Member's question but they propose to direct attention to the evil and do what they can to stimulate local and individual effort in regard to it.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTMay I ask the hon. Baronet what is intended by the expression "to do what they can to stimulate local and individual effort"?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe hon. Gentleman must draw his own conclusions.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIs not this just one of those matters which every other Department of Agriculture in Europe would take the trouble to organise?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEHas he heard of an effective method of destroying these birds by steeping corn in whisky and leaving them to pick it up?