§ Baroness Nicolasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment has been made of (a) the number of barn owls that nest in buildings used for the storage of hay and straw in Great Britain, and (b) the impact on these birds of the proposed extension of the code of practice for the control of salmonellae during the storage, handling and transport of raw materials intended for incorporation into animal feedingstuffs, Section 3.1 of which requires birds to be excluded from storage facilities, to include materials for direct use as animal feedingstuffs.
Earl HoweThe Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food does not collect information on the number of barn owls which nest in farm buildings. Conservation organisations have informed the department of their estimates. Discussions are to go ahead with representative organisations, including conservationists, to assess the impact of the proposed changes to the code.