---

Bats: Conservation

Answer

The bat crime Tactical Delivery Group (TDG) is comprised of around 40 representatives from several key stakeholder organisations, including the police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. A Defra representative attends as required.

There is a TDG for each of five national wildlife crime priorities. The priority areas are those which have been assessed as posing the greatest current threat to either the conservation status of a species or which show the highest volume of crime and therefore require a UK-wide tactical response.

Each TDG is required to report to the UK Tasking and Coordination Group (UKTCG) (on which Defra is represented) twice a year. This allows the UKTCG to oversee the activities of the TDG and ensure its objectives are being met.

Each TDG is supported by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is a principal funder of the NWCU and is providing £530,000 for the Unit in the financial year 2026-27. The NWCU holds TDGs accountable and sets their objectives which link back to an overarching national wildlife crime strategy.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

125522

Session

2024-26

Transferred

Yes

Subjects

Staff Conservation Bats National Wildlife Crime Unit

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk