Mr. Ron DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the changes in the numbers and distribution of badgers in the wild following the passing of the Badgers Act 1973.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe first reliable national survey of the badger population in Great Britain was commissioned by the Nature Conservancy Council and carried out between 1985 and 1988 by Bristol university and the Mammal Society. The initial findings are that there are approximately 42,000 main setts or social groups in Great Britain, equivalent to a population of approximately 240,000 animals. The final results of this study will be used as a baseline for future surveys. It is not possible accurately to assess changes in the British badger population since 1973.