§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ascertain why shooters' shot does less damage if ingested by swans than anglers split lead shot; whether his group of specialists from the Nature Conservancy Council and the national angling bodies will consider this in their report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveLead gunshot and anglers' split leadshot are equally toxic. However, post-mortem examinations of swans between 1973 and 1981 revealed that gunshot was present in less than 2 per cent. of cases, whereas anglers split leadshot was found in 58 per cent. of swans examined. Research since 1981 indicates similar results. Of 392 post-mortem examinations of swans where lead weights were identifiable to source, only 6 (1.5 per
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