DESTRUCTIVE IMPORTED ANIMALS ACT, 1932. (Hansard, 27 May 1937)

§ The Minister of Pensions (Mr. Ramsbotham)
I beg to move, That the Order under erection 10 of the Destructive Imported Animals Act, 1932, for prohibiting the importation into, and keeping within, Great Britain of any animal of the species designated Scirius carolinensis, and commonly known as the Grey Squirrel, which was presented to this House on Thursday, the 6th day of May, 1937. be approved. The object of the Act under which is made the Order which I am asking the House to approve, was primarily to deal with the musk rat and, in point of fact, it has been very successful in dealing with that animal and has thoroughly vindicated the passing of the Measure. The Act also includes powers to extend its application to other destructive, non-indigenous mammals, not established in a wild state in Great Britain, or which have become so established only in the last 50 years. The grey squirrel is a destructive imported animal, and I am asking the House that its importation into Great Britain may be prohibited. There is a very formidable indictment against this animal. It is the bitter enemy of agriculture, horticulture and sylviculture, and of all bird life.
The cost of harbouring such an undesirable alien has already been considerable, and is likely to increase, unless we do something about it. In 1930 the grey squirrel existed in something like 35 counties in Great Britain, and we have evidence to show that since then the numbers and range of the activities of grey squirrels have not decreased but have increased. The destruction of the grey squirrel has been made the subject of a campaign by the Ministry of Agriculture, and although that Campaign was supported to the full with the publication of leaflets, use of wireless and exhortations of county councils, arid so forth, it cannot be said that those propaganda measures have been anything like successful. The Act which we are now asking the House to apply, makes specific provision for dealing with grey squirrels by authorising the appropriate Departments to take such steps as are considered necessary for their destruction.
In England the appropriate Department may authorise the agricultural committee of the county council of any county 557 to exercise these powers within the county at the expense of the Department. We still think that voluntary agencies afford the best means of dealing with this pest, and it is not the intention of the Government to undertake the actual operations of shooting or trapping, or to utilise the powers given by the Act, but those powers will remain in reserve should they be required. We regard the Order as the first step in a campaign of propaganda and publicity designed to encourage the extermination of these animals by voluntary effort, and we think it will be the more successful if it has the moral effect which legislation by this House will give it. I trust that the House will approve of the Order, and enable the Ministry and people in the country at large to assist in the extermination of what has become a serious and destructive pest to birds, trees, fruit, and agriculture generally.

§ Mr. Radford
I wish that my hon. Friend had given us a little more information, or, shall I say, basis of proof, with regard to the destructive propensities of the grey squirrel. I have observed that there seem to be fewer of the old English brown squirrels about, and I have heard it said that these grey squirrels either destroy them or frighten them away, but, while my hon. Friend gave an alarming catalogue of the crimes which are laid at the door of the grey squirrel, he did not give us that detailed information which I think the House would like to have before it passes an Order which is practically a sentence of death on a little animal which at any rate is interesting to watch, even if it is mischievous. In the part of the country where I live, namely Cheshire, there are numbers of these grey squirrels, and they are certainly very interesting to watch, and I should like to have a little more proof as to whether they do all the mischief that is imputed to them. Possibly other Members may have knowledge of the subject, but I do not feel that, on the information which has been given to the House to-night, we are justified in passing an Order which is practically one for the extermination of a picturesque and really quite tame little creature.

Lieut.-Colonel C. Kerr
I should like to endorse every word that has been said 558 by the Minister on this subject. For some years I have had to suffer from this pest in the place where I live, and I do not think that my hon. Friend the Member for Rusholme (Mr. Radford) can really feel that these animals are dear little pets. They are tree rats of the most unworthy type, and they completely destroy the charming little red squirrel, which does no harm to anybody. To one's garden, whether it be the ornamental garden or the fruit or vegetable garden, they do tremendous damage, as well as to all the ornamental birds, and, if the love of animals and birds is to be brought into this question, let us love the little birds that they destroy, the nests that they destroy, arid all the other charming things that we see about in the garden, on the hillside and in the fields. I have personal knowledge of this matter, so much so that I had to buy a rather expensive gun for my gardener, and I believe I am not exaggerating when I say that we shoot on an average from five to seven of these animals every week. But we are in a hopeless position, because the people next door do not do anything of the sort, and, as fast as we kill the animals, they are replaced. I hope that my hon. Friend, who, I know, is actuated by the most kindly sentiments in this matter, will not consider them dear little animals at all.

§ Mr. Goldie
I should be most grateful if my hon. Friend would inform us what a non-indigenous mammal is.

Mr. David Adams
I think we ought to have some more information as to the destructiveness of the grey squirrel. Much of the complaint is that it is an American introduction and that it breeds more rapidly than the red squirrel. It is said that the red squirrel does little or no damage to gardens or to fruit, but the contrary is the case and only its beauty has saved it in the past. We ought to be very careful indeed before determining on the wholesale extermination of the interesting grey squirrel. There are very few pleasure gardens, certainly in the South of England, which I have visited where the grey squirrel is not a feature. It is easily tamed, and to say that owners of gardens may at any time be subject to an instruction from the Minister of Agriculture that it is an 559 obligation to destroy it is an act of detriment to the beauty and interest of the country. We require a great deal more information than the Minister has submitted, which has been of a purely negative character.

§ Mr. Ramsbotham
I did not submit proofs of the guilt of this animal because I thought they were substantially known. When it is said that we are pronouncing sentence against the grey squirrel, the grey squirrel has pronounced sentence on thousands of other creatures which are more graceful than he is. I have a note of the food of the grey squirrel which will be some evidence of the damage that it does. It comprises green shoots and buds of various trees, nuts and seeds in all stages, ripe and unripe; fruits, wild and cultivated, ripe and unripe; the inner bark of young trees, notably beech and sycamore, bulbs and roots of various kinds, birds' eggs and young birds. It is common knowledge that it is a very destructive and mischievous pest. With regard to the expression "non-indigenous," I take it to mean that the grey squirrel is not normally a native of this country. At any rate, 50 years ago it was not known. Unfortunately it has become widely established since.

§ Mr. Radford
Is the House to understand that, if this Order is passed, officers of the Ministry of Agriculture may at any time enter upon private premises, if they have reason to believe that there are grey squirrels, in order to destroy them? After all, a man's ground is supposed to be his castle.