Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release by Natural England of 29 July 2016 to issue a licence for buzzard control, whether she plans to issue further such licences during the current Parliament.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Responsibility for issuing licences for buzzard control is a matter for Natural England. All wild birds, including buzzards, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which makes it illegal to take, injure, or kill a wild bird, or to disturb them while nesting and protects their nests and eggs except under the authority of a licence.

Section 16 of the Act gives provision for Natural England to grant a licence to manage wildlife for a number of reasons including preventing serious damage to livestock. Natural England considers each application on its merits but would not license any activity which would adversely affect the conservation status of a species.