§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences against wild birds were alleged, and how many of these resulted in successful prosecutions, in each year since 1990;
(2) how many cases of the persecution of birds of prey have been recorded in each year since 1990.
§ Mr. MacleanThe number of cases of persecution of birds of prey is not recorded centrally.
The numbers of defendants prosecuted and convicted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from 1990 to 1993, latest available, for offences related to birds are given in the table. Information is not collected centrally as to the species involved.
757W
Number of defendants prosecuted and convicted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 of offences related to birds, 1990–93 England and Wales Prosecutions Convictions Offence description 1990 1991 1992 1993 1990 1991 1992 1993 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Protection of wild birds [Section 1] 35 45 44 48 24 33 33 32 Protection of nests and eggs of wild birds [Section 1] 5 14 9 16 2 12 7 8 Illegal entry into bird sanctuaries [Section 3] 2 3 — 2 — 2 — 2 Protection of wild birds in sanctuaries [Section 3] — 1 — — — 1 — — Protection of the nests and eggs of wild birds in sanctuaries [Section 3] 3 1 — 1 3 — — 1 Prohibition of certain methods of lulling or taking wild birds [Section 5] 11 7 7 10 9 6 5 8 Protection of captive birds [Section 8] 7 1 4 3 7 — 4 2