§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of individuals and organisations who have made representations to him since his appointment, with a view to making the otter a protected species in Scotland; and if he will indicate his legislative intentions to deal with this problem.
§ Mr. RifkindRepresentations concerning the protection of the otter in Scotland have been received from Friends of the Earth (Scotland), Orkney Heritage Society, Otter Haven Project, People's Trust for Endangered Species, Scottish Wildlife Trust and the school children of Comiston school, Edinburgh. In addition, approximately 100 letters—several accompanied by petitions—have been received from individuals and 10,000 postcards of the kind issued by the People's Trust for Endangered Species asking the138W Secretary of State to introduce legislation have been received from people throughout Great Britain.
As the hon. Member will know, information about the otter in Scotland did not suggest that it was an endangered species in Scotland in terms of the Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975. My right hon. Friend is now considering the views of the Nature Conservancy Council in the light of a 1979 survey carried out by the joint otter group.