Written question asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Wednesday, 3 November 2010.

Birds of Prey

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the number of birds of prey offered for sale on websites, what assessment they have made of thecontinued validity of the statement in Birds of Prey: What You Need to Know that ““there is no ready market for second hand birds of prey so your commitment will be long term””.

Answer: The advice given in the final section of the animal health leaflet was supplied by the Hawk Board. The new leaflet, which will be issued shortly, does not contain this advice. However, any person who is considering buying a bird for the first time should consider this point as buying a bird is a long-term commitment and they are unlikely to recover their original costs by selling a second-hand bird, which generally attracts a lower price than a newly bred bird.

Secondary information