§ Major Beamishasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the undesirable practice of burning gorse during the months of May and June and to the consequential destruction of bird life involved; and whether he will consider requesting agricultural executive committees to advise farmers to burn their gorse during periods of the year before or after the nesting season.
§ Sir T. DugdaleI understand that it is the normal practice for gorse to be burnt before the nesting season, but I am ready to take such steps as are possible to advise farmers to restrict the burning of gorse to the same period, namely, 1st November to 31st March, which is permitted for the burning of heather and grass under the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations, 1949.