§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a report listing the implementation and derogations made by Her Majesty's Government has yet been sent to the European Community in response to directive 79/409; whether this report lists numbers and species of protected birds killed under licence; and if this report will be published or made available to hon. Members.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe first United Kingdom annual report required by Article 9.3 of directive 79/409/EEC was sent to the European Commission in June 1982 and a copy was placed in the Library. The second annual report, for 1982, will be sent to the European Commission shortly. A copy will be placed in the Library.
The directive is implemented in the United Kingdom by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The 1982 report will detail derogations in that Act; the number of licences issued under the Act and the reasons for granting them; the species covered by each licence; and the method of killing or taking the birds. The directive does not require the numbers of birds killed be reported to the Commission but our report will include the number where the information is available.