§ 6. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, to combat the menace of wood pigeons, he will take steps to make cartridges available at reduced prices to recognised individual expert shots operating on a country-wide basis.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsNo, Sir. Grants towards the cost of cartridges for shooting wood pigeons are available to rabbit clearance societies, who may provide cartridges for recognised shots if they wish.
§ Mr. FarrIs my hon. Friend aware that whilst it may seem very satisfactory on paper, it is not working out in practice? Is he further aware that I know the name of one expert wood pigeon shot who has killed over 100,000 wood pigeons but who has now given up because he finds that to continue under the present scheme he would have to join no fewer than forty of these rabbit clearance societies?
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsIt is not necessary to join the societies. One only has to be recognised by them. If the gentleman to whom my hon. Friend refers was a recognised shot, my Department could arrange for him to get these cartridges with the minimum amount of difficulty. I think the gentleman concerned might well come into this category.
§ Mr. HiltonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the wood pigeon in Norfolk is one of the worst of several pests that we have on our farms and that it does tremendous damage? If he cannot agree to the suggestion made by his hon. Friend, will he at least ask his right hon. Friend to give careful consideration to the proposals in the letter which I sent to him a couple of days ago from the Norfolk branch of the National Farmers' Union for dealing with these pests?
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsI am aware of the damage done by wood pigeons, and everything possible is being done to eradicate them.
§ 18. Sir A. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the increasing damage to farm and garden crops by wood pigeons in recent years, he will consult the National Farmers' Union, ornithologists and pest destruction experts on further measures which might be taken to reduce their numbers.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsWe are aware of the increasing amount of damage being done by wood pigeons. The Ministry is in constant consultation with the interests to which my hon. Friend refers, and with the Advisory Council on Rabbits and other Land Pests, on further measures to reduce the number of wood pigeons.
§ Sir A. HurdIn addition to what we are achieving at present, could not more be achieved possibly by the giving of some sort of tranquiliser to the pigeons so that they could be caught more easily on the ground?
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsI shall give thought to that suggestion.