HC Deb 07 November 1995 vol 265 cc740-1W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds concerning the decline of bird species; and if he will make a statement. [41439]

Mr. Clappison

My Department has regular contact with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on a wide range of issues relating to conservation of birds. The society regularly publishes reports on trends in wild bird populations. A recent report dealt with farmland birds.

Mr. Mark Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes are intended to be made to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 concerning the defences available to those who need to take urgent action to kill wild birds to prevent agricultural damage; and what plans there are to align the licensing provisions in the Act for killing or other use of birds more closely with the provisions of the EC directive on the conservation of wild birds. [42249]

Mr. Gummer

Regulations have today been laid in both Houses which would change the provisions of section 4(3)(c) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which provide certain defences to the killing or injuring of wild birds to protect agricultural interests, to bring them into line with the defences provided in section 10(6) of the Act in respect of the killing or injuring of wild animals. The defences would be available to those who could show that there was no other satisfactory solution to killing or injuring wild birds; that if the need for such action could have been foreseen, a licence should have been applied for as soon as practicable and not yet have been determined; and that the person should notify the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as soon as reasonably practicable after taking such action.

The regulations would extend the provisions of section 16 of the Act governing licensing authorities' responsibilities and the conditions under which licences may be issued, and would increase the range of licensing purposes.

These changes, which follow consideration of responses to public consultation, would align the Act more closely with the detailed derogation requirements of the birds directive.