HL Deb 19 December 1983 vol 446 cc581-2WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What advice they received from the Nature Conservancy Council on the question of whether licences to shoot barnacle geese to prevent agricultural damage on Islay in Scotland should be issued to owners who are not occupiers.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Gray of Contin)

The Nature Conservancy Council advised against the issue of licences to shoot barnacle geese to prevent agricultural damage on Islay to owners who are not occupiers.

Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the scaring techniques in use so far this year on Islay in Scotland to prevent agricultural damage by barnacle geese, and whether they can state what approximate area is affected by such techniques.

Lord Gray of Contin

Scaring techniques used so far this year on Islay to prevent agricultural damage by barnacle geese have been:—various visual deterrents (including scarecrows), rifle shots over the heads of geese, Verey pistol, and scaring by vehicles including motor cycles, but probably the most efficient technique is the presence of people perhaps reinforced by dogs which occurs in the course of normal farming operations. In the circumstances it is not possible to give even an approximate area affected by such techniques.

Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will place in the Library a copy of the list of individual farms covered by licences to shoot barnacle geese on Islay in Scotland, which they have given to the Nature Conservancy Council and which is given to other bodies with a legitimate interest.

Lord Gray of Contin

I do not consider that it would be appropriate to place in the Library a copy of the list of individual farms covered by licences to shoot barnacle geese on Islay.