§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of each of the protected raptores; and if their numbers are increasing or declining.
§ Mr. AncramThe Scottish Home and Health Department does not keep wild bird population statistics but I am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that the most recent available estimates for Great Britain are:
Numbers Common Buzzard 12,000 pairs Increasing Honey Buzzard 4–10 pairs Stable Golden Eagle 4–500 pairs Increasing Goshawk 70 pairs Increasing slowly Marsh Harrier 25 pairs Increasing hen Harrier 600 pairs Stable Montagu's Harrier 2–9 pairs Decreasing Hobby 100–180 pairs Stable Kestrel 70,000 pairs Stable Merlin 3–400 pairs Decreasing Peregrine 8–900 pairs Increasing Red Kite 46 pairs Stable Sparrowhawk 20,000 pairs Increasing Osprey 25–30 pairs Stable Separate estimates for Scotland are not available.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions of persons illegally taking eggs from the nests of protected raptores in 1984.
§ Mr. AncramThis information is not available.