Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Tuesday, 7 November 2006.

Squirrels: Predation

Question: My Lords, has Defra consulted the Forestry Commission over a plan to control grey squirrel numbers by using contraception instead of by humane killing? Is contraception still Defra’s preferred method of control?

Answer: My Lords, I asked about this yesterday because I had to have immunocontraceptives explained to me. I asked, ““How do you know whether you are giving them to the boy grey squirrels or the girl grey squirrels?”” I am told that it is a bit of a problem out in the wild. It is true that the Forestry Commission and Defra are collaborating to investigate the potential of such a vaccine, if I can call it that. If everything goes according to plan, it will be 10 years before a usable fertility control method is available for grey squirrels. I have to say that, as it has been for former Defra and MAFF Ministers, every vaccine that is meant to solve a problem is always 10 years away.

Secondary information