§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to destroy protected species in 1991, 1992 and 1993.
§ Mr. AtkinsDetails of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in respect of wild birds are contained in the reports by the United Kingdom to the European Community on derogation under article 9 of the directive on the conservation of wild birds—79,409/EEC—for the years 1991 and 1992. Figures for 1993 are not yet available. Copies of the derogation report are held in the Library of this House.
Set out is a table of licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales in 1993, and those issued in Scotland and Wales in 1991 and 1992. The figures for England for those years cannot be provided without disproportionate costs being incurred, as English Nature—the licensing authority—only has manual records prior to 1993.
Licences under section 16 are also issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales. I will write to the hon. Member when details are available.
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§ Mr. BaldryThe information is given in the table.
Species Number of specimens licensed for taking Issed under subsection 1991 Rainbow leaf beetle small sample 16(3)(a) Killarney fern small sample 16(3)(a) and (c) Foxtail stonewort small sample ditto Freshwater pearl mussel 100 ditto Freshwater pearl mussel 3 kilos 16(3)(a) Young's helleborine 1 16(3)(a) and (c) 1992 Crayfish 100 16(3)(a) Pipistrelle bat 30 ditto 1,000 young Allis shad (see note 1) 100 adults ditto 1,000 young Allis shad (see note 1) 100 adults ditto Fen orchid 5 16(3)(a) and (c) Floating water plantain small samples 16(3)(a) Spiked speedwell 100 ditto Killarney fern small samples 16(3)(a) and (c) 1993 Medicinal leech 1 16(3)(a) 1,000 young Allis shad (see note 1) 100 adults ditto 1,000 young Allis shad (see note 1) 100 adults ditto Swallowtail butterfly 20 ditto Beetles 2 ditto De Folin's lagoon snail 40 ditto Natterjack toad eggs/tadpoles 5,000 ditto Natterjack toad 50 tadpoles ditto Natterjack toad tadpoles 175 ditto Lagoon sandworm unknown ditto Lagoon sand shrimp unknown ditto Starlet sea anemone unknown ditto Lundy cabbages 10 ditto Floating water plantain unknown ditto Foxtail stonewort unknown ditto Note 1: Licences issued for maximum take over a three-year period