§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
If they will list: (a) the number and species of captive birds of prey registered under Section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and (b) the number of registered birds of prey of the following species: peregrine, merlin, goshawk and golden eagle that laid eggs in captivity in 1983, and the number of young that were raised.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Bellwin)Approximately 6,500 adult hawks have been registered with the department under 1613WA Section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is estimated that a further 1,500 to 2,000 young birds will have been registered by the end of the 1983 season. Specific statistics will not be available until later this year.