Grey Squirrels: Population Control (Hansard, 15 June 1994)

Viscount St Davids
My Lords, so far it has not proved practicable to reduce the number of grey squirrels over the whole of their range in Great Britain. Control of this species is particularly important in areas where grey squirrels are causing significant damage to broadleaf trees, or where red squirrels are present.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his reply. Is he aware that grey squirrels, imported from America many years ago, do not attack red squirrels, but that their presence and pressure on food resources make it very difficult for the reds to survive? Will the Government encourage the schemes, besides that at Thetford, to prevent the eventual extinction of red squirrels in most of Britain?

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, my noble friend is indeed right. Although they are larger, there is no evidence that grey squirrels physically attack reds. The primary cause for the decline in the number of red squirrels is not known for certain. It is thought that the grey squirrel can out-compete the smaller and more timid red squirrel where they co-exist. Studies so far suggest that the red squirrel will disappear from a woodland within six years of its colonisation by the grey. The Government, through the Forestry Commission and English Nature, will do all they can to promote schemes to preserve the red squirrel.

§ The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that since the grey squirrel started to spread from the Lothians into the Borders of Scotland over the past seven years, vigorous action groups have been formed there and subsequently in Northumberland and south-west Scotland to try to combat this invasion? Will he be able to pledge government support and encouragement to these action groups to carry on their good work and perhaps investigate the possibility of using some form of birth control substance which can be offered to grey squirrels in selected hoppers which are inaccessible to red squirrels?

Viscount St Davids
My Lords, the Government have a considerable interest in these matters through English Nature and the Forestry Commission. They 1690 also, in part, fund the wildlife trust partnership of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. I also draw your Lordships' attention to the valuable work which is also undertaken by the National Trust and wildlife trusts.

§ Lord Taylor of Gryfe
My Lords, is the Minister aware that £22 million was paid to the private sector last year, of which I approve, in order to encourage new planting, and that more than 50 per cent. of that planting was in broadleaf woods? Can the Minister confirm that it is particularly broadleaf woods which are affected by this pest? It seems that we are spending money to encourage the planting of broadleaf trees at the same time as there is an expansion of the grey squirrel population. Will the Minister encourage the Forestry Commission in the experiments which it is undertaking at the moment with feeding hoppers whereby the grey squirrel will be poisoned if it eats food from them and the red squirrel will survive? Will he encourage the Forestry Commission to progress the experiments in this field?

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, the Forestiy Commission has set up a red squirrel prcrtection area in Thetford Forest where grey squirrels will be discouraged and red squirrels will be supported by supplementary feeding and the release of captive-bred animals. Similar measures are under consideration for Cannock Chase. However, control is likely to be more effective where landowners and occupiers join together to form squirrel control groups or squirrel management groups. Two such squirrel management groups have been formed in key areas of Scotland where both red and grey squirrels are present. The Forestry Commission is a member of both groups. The objectives of the groups include the conservation of red squirrels and the control and limitation of damage by grey squirrels.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, from the admirable brief which my noble friend has with him, can he inform the House in which parts of the country, other than the Isle of Wight and the northern part of Scotland and any areas which he has already mentioned, the red squirrel still survives?

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, the red squirrel will survive in all areas of coniferous trees because it is only in the deciduous woods that the grey squirrel lives.

§ Baroness Nicol
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the remaining population of red squirrels amounts to only 30,000 in England, 9,000 in Wales, but 121,000 in Scotland? Is he also aware that the tests which are being carried out on controlling grey squirrels are inevitably limited by the availability of money? Will he ask his department to encourage sponsors to take up the question of controlling grey squirrels? That would be a commercial proposition which might appeal to a number of sponsors. I believe that it would certainly be much more commercially attractive than the control of the wart biter cricket which the Government have also put on their list for sponsorship.

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, of course I shall bring the most helpful suggestion of the noble Baroness, Lady Nicol, to the attention of my right honourable friend.

§ Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that time was after the war when, in return for grey squirrel tails, cartridges and cash bounties were given? Would it not be a good idea to find a good incentive to encourage people to kill more grey squirrels?

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, I well remember the scheme which my noble friend has mentioned. I used to use it as a way of supplementing my pocket money. But with today's thoughts on guns and the distribution of firearms, I believe that it may be unwise to put a money bounty on the tail of the grey squirrel.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I am sure that many of us in this House, and certainly many animal lovers throughout the country, will be horrified at some of the suggestions which they have heard this afternoon, particularly the collection of squirrel tails? Is he further aware that the grey squirrel is a very intelligent and entertaining animal? I was certainly horrified to hear on Meridian Television that people were being recommended by the Forestry Commission to shoot and poison them. I sincerely hope that that advice will be withdrawn and that the grey squirrels which play in my garden and give a lot of pleasure to my family and myself will not be shot or poisoned by my neighbour.

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, the Forestry Commission's annual survey and the 1991 survey of the Timber Growers' Association both show that grey squirrels are causing serious damage to a wide range of tree species by stripping the bark from the trees, and that they are threatening the success of the Government's policy for maintaining the existing broadleaf woodlands and establishing new ones. Landowners report that they may have to stop planting trees in certain areas because grey squirrels make it impossible for the trees to become established.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, can the noble Viscount expand on his remarks about squirrel control groups? How does one set up a squirrel control group? Is it related to the suggestion of the noble Duke that there could be birth control for grey squirrels, in which case, will there be a government subsidy for squirrel condoms?

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, means of stopping the breeding of grey squirrels have been investigated but, unfortunately, have not met with much success.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that at present in northern Scotland we have only red squirrels because the greys have not yet crossed the Grampians? Is he aware that unofficial voluntary schemes, appropriately named Red Alert, have been started in various parts of Scotland and England to try to stop the advance of the greys?

Viscount St. Davids
My Lords, the Department of the Environment has not had any direct discussions with Red Alert but English Nature has had regular contact and is fully conversant with that organisation's aims and objectives. The organisation is chaired by the noble Viscount, Lord Ridley. Although he is not in his place today, I am sure that all noble Lords would wish to put on the record our appreciation of the major contribution that the noble Viscount has made to our understanding of the means of conserving the red squirrel.