Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Bill Wiggin (Conservative) on Monday, 30 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 July 2008. It was answered by Joan Ruddock (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 July 2008 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Forests: Nature Conservation

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to protect the native fauna of natural woodland, with particular reference to the red squirrel, under the terms of the Bern Convention.
Answer

The UK Government are involved in an extensive range of measures to conserve our native woodland fauna.In England, Bern Convention obligations are implemented through the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) 1981. The red squirrel is listed on Schedule 5 to the WCA and as such is protected from intentional killing, injury, taking, possession, sale or intentional destruction of any structure or place used for shelter.The UK Biodiversity Action Plan also includes a Species Action Plan for the red squirrel which primarily aims to maintain self sustaining populations of red squirrels, and wherever practicable expand red squirrel populations where their sustainability is threatened. This action plan is being implemented through a broad partnership of Government, statutory conservation agencies and the private and voluntary sectors.The Isle of Wight remains a haven for red squirrels in the south of England. Forestry Commission grants have resulted in 210 hectares of new woodland planting to link fragmented habitat. The Forestry Commission woods, which are managed for red squirrel conservation, have benefited from this linking.The Red Alert North England partners have designated 16 reserves and associated buffer zones where long-term survival of the red squirrel is considered most likely. The partners' Save our Squirrels project is delivering advice to landowners, co-ordinating squirrel control in the buffers, promoting Forestry Commission grants, raising public awareness and gaining further funding for squirrel conservation work.The Red Squirrel Protection Partnership led by Lord Redesdale was awarded a three year £148,000 grant in June 2006 from the Rural Enterprise Scheme to support the control of grey squirrels in Northumberland to help protect the red squirrel reserves.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
216338; 478 c1472W
Session
2007-08
Subjects
Conservation Forests Nature conservation Squirrels
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk