Written question asked by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Monday, 19 January 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 21 January 2009. It was answered by Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 January 2009 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Birds of Prey

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on reintroducing golden eagles to northern England.

Answer: We are committed to conserving our native species and habitats and it is important to use our resources wisely for this purpose. We would support the reintroduction of species if justified on environmental and sustainability grounds, but any proposal would have to be very carefully considered.I am not aware of any current proposals to reintroduce golden eagles to northern England. A reintroduction project for this species would require a full feasibility study and a formal assessment against internationally accepted guidelines produced by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) before it could commence. No such feasibility study or IUCN assessment has been undertaken or commissioned by Natural England.

Secondary information