§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make it his policy to establish an independent scientific survey into the hare population with a view to including the species under schedule 5 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
§ Mr. MoynihanNo. The conservation status of the brown hare was carefully considered by the Government's statutory adviser on wildlife matters, the Nature Conservancy Council, as part of its recent statutory review of schedules 5 and 8 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, following its first five years of operation. Its advice following this review was that the brown hare does not merit inclusion in schedule 5 on conservation grounds. I understand the blue hare is not under threat.