§ 35. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the recent decision of his Department that the little owl, together with all other British owls, are beneficent rather than harmful to agriculture, he proposes to take any steps to make this decision generally known throughout the countryside, in view of the prejudice which exists to the contrary in many districts?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonThe findings contained in the recent report of the British Trust for Ornithology as to the beneficent character of the little owl have received wide publicity through the medium of the Press and broadcast talks, and in the circumstances I do not consider that any further steps in this direction are called for. I would add that my Department has also issued a leaflet dealing with the little owl, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Acland-TroyteIs my right hon. Friend aware that this is not a matter of prejudice but of knowledge and experience, and that little owls do a great amount of harm to young poultry and pheasant chicks?
§ Mr. MorrisonI will send to my hon. and gallant Friend also a copy of the leaflet to which I have referred, from 690 which he will see that exhaustive tests have been made of the feeding habits of this bird, and the researches show quite definitely that, although there may be some bad individuals, it is, on the whole, a good bird.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Acland-TroyteIs it not a fact that the bad individuals greatly outnumber the good ones?
§ Mr. MorrisonNo, Sir.