§ Mr. Penhaligonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, for each English county, the number of licences which have been issued for the sale of frogs caught in the wild and the numbers of frogs covered by the licences issued in each county; and, in the case of Cornwall, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the wild population of frogs in that county is able to sustain the collection of the numbers which have been allowed to be sold under licence.
§ Mr. WaldegraveTo date, 22 dealers and pet shops throughout Great Britain have been licensed to trade in frogs. Such frogs may, however, have been obtained from outside the county in which they are sold. Three of the licensed dealers are based in Cornwall. Licences issued by my Department do not impose any limitation on the number of animals which may be sold. The situation is being closely monitored by my Department and the Nature Conservancy Council, which is satisfied that the extent of trade in the common frog is not so extensive as to constitute a threat to the species.