HL Deb 09 March 1983 vol 440 cc314-5WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In what circumstances it could be lawful for someone to shoot at a wild bird with a semiautomatic shotgun in Great Britain if no licence has been issued under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 permitting such use of a semi-automatic shotgun to the person concerned.

Lord Skelmersdale

Under general licences issued by my right honourable friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Scotland, authorised persons, as defined in Section 27 of the Act, may kill birds included in Part II of Schedule 2 to the Act with semi-automatic weapons, provided the killing is for the purposes specified in paragraphs (i), (j) or (k) of Section 16(1) of the Act.