§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of(a) changes in the population of birds of prey on grouse moorlands since 1990 and (b) the reasons for such changes. [32211]
§ Angela EagleTwo species of birds of prey are associated with predation of red grouse on grouse moors, the hen harrier and the peregrine falcon. The last survey of the hen harrier was undertaken in 1988, and a further survey will commence in the summer of 1998. However, recent work on the hen harrier has indicated that their survival rate on grouse moors was lower than on other moorland habitats, and this has been attributed to illegal persecution.
The peregrine falcon has significantly increased in recent years following a decline caused by the use of organochlorines in the 1950s and 1960s. However, persecution and environmental pollutants may restrict the population in some areas.