§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses he has had following consultations on the proposed amendment to schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and how many responses were in favour of amendment.
§ Mr. AtkinsI refer to the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 25 April,Official Report, column 40–41. Of the 192 responses received, 45 were fully or partly in favour and 27 neither supported nor objected to the proposals.
We consulted our scientific advisors, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, in preparing our proposals. They accepted that the conservation status of the sparrowhawk, kestrel and common buzzard will not be significantly adversely affected at present by the proposals.