§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by type, the number of birds of prey reported stolen in(a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) each month of 1994.
§ Sir Paul Beresford[holding answer 19 December 1994]: As thefts of birds of prey are not reportable offences, comprehensive official statistics are not kept. However, the information available to my Department indicates that the minimum figures for thefts of birds of prey from the wild in Great Britain were as follows:
- 1992: 47
- 1993: 72
Figures for 1994 are not yet available.
My Department does not keep records of birds in captivity which are subsequently stolen.