§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the letter from Dr. de Brooke of the Department of Zoology, Cambridge university, a copy of which has been supplied to him, on measures to eradicate rats in the Pitcairn Islands; what priority he is giving to the island of Oeno; and if he will make a statement. [38976]
§ Mr. HanleyFor both human health and biodiversity reasons we would welcome the elimination of the rats on Pitcairn. We are studying proposals to do this. No decision has yet been taken on the measures needed or on the priority to be given to each of the islands in the group.