Grey Squirrels (Hansard, 25 April 1994)

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is her policy on measures to reduce grey squirrel populations in Britain.

§ Mr. Soames
It is not practical to reduce the number of grey squirrels over the whole of Britain. The Government's policy is, therefore, to control grey squirrels in those areas where they are causing significant damage to broad-leaved trees and in those areas where there are red squirrels present.
Grey squirrels, unlike our native red squirrels, are not a protected species. Responsibility for the general control of grey squirrels lies with individual landowners and occupiers, who are free to use any legal method of control, including traps, approved pesticides and shooting if they feel that this is necessary to prevent damage.

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if she will give details of her advice to landowners wishing to kill grey squirrels;
(2) if she will specify which (a) poisons and (b) traps she advises for killing grey squirrels.

§ Mr. Soames
Grey squirrels, unlike our native red squirrels, are not a protected species, and they may be killed by owners and occupiers of property and land if they feel this is necessary to prevent damage. Recommended methods of killing squirrels are by poisoning or trapping.
Except in the counties specified in the Grey Squirrel (Warfarin) Order 1973, grey squirrels may be killed 74W outdoors by the use of the anticoagulant poison warfarin. When used outdoors, the bait must be presented in a hopper of the dimensions and specification given in the 1973 order. Warfarin may be used inside a building throughout England without the use of a hopper.
Spring traps set in artificial or naturally occurring tunnels may be used but are not recommended for areas where red squirrels are present. Only traps authorised for use against squirrels under a spring trap approval order may be used. Single and multi-catch traps may be used in any part of the country for the live capture of grey squirrels and any grey squirrels so caught should be humanely despatched. It is an offence under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release any captured grey squirrel.
Advice on controlling grey squirrels is available from both ADAS and the Forestry Commission.

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence she has that grey squirrels are a problem in the British countryside.

§ Mr. Soames
The Forestry Commission's annual survey and the Timber Growers Association's 1991 survey both show that grey squirrels are causing serious damage to a wide range of tree species by stripping the bark from the trees and that they are threatening the success of the Government's policy for maintaining the existing broad-leaved woodlands and establishing new ones. Landowners report that they may have to stop planting trees in certain areas because grey squirrels make it impossible to establish the trees. Grey squirrels can, in some situations, cause serious damage to cereals, top and soft fruit, bulbs and root crops.
In addition, grey squirrels rob the nests of woodland nesting birds such as thrushes, tits and nuthatches, as well as killing young birds and competing for breeding sites. There is circumstantial evidence that grey squirrels compete with red squirrels and that the number of red squirrels in Britain has declined in recent years with the increase in the population of greys.

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research her officials have carried out into humane methods of killing or controlling grey squirrels.

§ Mr. Soames
As grey squirrels cause serious damage primarily to trees, research into humane methods of killing or controlling them is carried out by the Forestry Commission.
The commission has carried out research work on the development, testing and methods of deployment of cage traps and is also undertaking research into alternative silvicultural systems which may reduce the amount of damage caused by grey squirrels. The use of reproductive inhibitors has also been investigated but a practical way of using these has not yet been found.

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate has been made of the economic damage caused to forests by grey squirrels.

§ Mr. Soames
It is estimated that the damage to forests caused by grey squirrels leads to a loss in excess of £1 million each year.