§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made an assessment of the impact on populations of wild birds of exposure to pesticide cocktails; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierThe Advisory Committee on Pesticides set up by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food assesses the environmental implication of all pesticides before their use is approved. Approval 9W requires the consent of six Departments, including that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. As part of its work, the advisory committee will be considering the findings of a recent study by Reading university and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology into the effect on partridges of concurrent exposure to fungicides and pesticides.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to eliminate illegal poisoning of birds of prey; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierStrict controls are already in place to deter the illegal use of pesticides against birds of prey. Severe penalties are available for such offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, and incidents of abuse are pursued vigorously through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food wildlife incident investigations scheme. In addition, the Nature Conservancy Council is currently reviewing the matter of illegal poisoning.