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To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to prevent gulls nesting in urban areas; and whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to prevent gulls nesting in urban areas; and whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.
There are a range of legal methods that can be used to deter gulls to prevent or at least minimise problems in urban areas. Natural England has issued this guidance on managing wild birds using non-lethal measures. It has also piloted two organisational licences with Bath and Northeast Somerset Council; and Worcester Council for the purposes of urban gull management. It has invited and encouraged other councils to apply if they are experiencing gull issues and offered advice. Furthermore, Natural England colleagues have spoken directly to local authorities and presented to council environmental health officers through webinars hosted by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. While current Defra Ministers have not held discussions with counterparts in the devolved Governments on this matter, a Natural England representative attended the recent Scottish ‘Gull Summit’ to share learning on how Natural England is working with local authorities on managing gulls and providing licensing support.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to local authorities on non-lethal deterrents for managing urban gull populations that comply with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to local authorities on non-lethal deterrents for managing urban gull populations that comply with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Natural England has previously issued this guidance on managing wild birds using non-lethal measures. Neither Defra nor Natural England has assessed the merits of developing further targeted guidance for local authorities on this matter but we understand that NatureScot has recently updated its guidance and published data on the impacts of licensed activity on gull populations in Scotland. Natural England has also, this year, commenced a project on large gull management at the regional and national scale regarding both urban and rural gull populations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of urban gull populations on public (a) health and (b) safety.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of urban gull populations on public (a) health and (b) safety.
The two large gull species frequently seen in urban areas are the lesser black-backed gull and herring gull. There is a long term decline in the breeding population of both, which is most acute in coastal, rural areas. At the same time as this decline, and notwithstanding that populations of these birds in towns and cities are problematic to estimate, urban populations may have increased in recent years.
Defra has not made a recent assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of urban gull populations on public health and safety. All wild birds in England, including gulls, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The law allows for certain exemptions to this protection, such as to preserve public health and safety.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of (a) urban littering and (b) waste management on the behaviour of gull populations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of (a) urban littering and (b) waste management on the behaviour of gull populations.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Government has not made a recent national assessment on the potential impact of urban littering and waste management on the behaviour of gull populations. The effective management of litter and waste are matters for local authorities in the areas in which they occur.
All wild birds in England, including gulls, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and only in exceptional cases does the law allow for certain exemptions to this protection, such as to preserve public health and safety.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the protected status of seagulls.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the protected status of seagulls.
The Government has no plans to change the legal protections for gull species. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee Seabird Census (2015-2021) and the 2024 Birds of Conservation Concern report indicate substantial population declines due to, for example, avian influenza and prey availability. This includes gull species such as herring and lesser black-backed gulls.
All wild birds in England, including gulls, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In exceptional cases Natural England can issue licences for the management of protected species, including gulls, for certain purposes such as protecting public health and safety or for conservation.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any health problems created by urban gulls as a result of an increase in numbers and spread inland; and what discussions they have had with Natural England about re-instating rooftop-nesting Herring gulls and Lesser black-back gulls on the General...
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any health problems created by urban gulls as a result of an increase in numbers and spread inland; and what discussions they have had with Natural England about re-instating rooftop-nesting Herring gulls and Lesser black-back gulls on the General...
Defra recognises that there are instances where herring gull and lesser black-backed gull may cause public health and public safety issues, particularly in urban areas. It has been assessed that these species are not appropriate for control through General Licence, due to their red and amber conservation status. However, to address some of the public health and safety concerns in urban areas, last year Natural England piloted an Organisational Licence with Worcester and Bath and North East Somerset Council. These licences allow councils to address specific public health and safety risks caused by these species.
Organisational Licences are more suitable for Local Authorities experiencing a higher-than-average number of public health and safety incidents on a wide scale and its therefore likely these towns or cities have higher gull populations. Natural England will make use of local gull survey information and population viability analysis to calculate a sustainable number of gulls that can be controlled at these Organisational Licence-wide scales. Where local authorities can provide evidence that their gull populations are growing, Natural England will allow an increased number of eggs and nest removals.
These licences aim to help authorities deal with the most severe public health risks posed to residents by nesting gulls, whilst ensuring that any lethal control by the destruction of eggs and nests remains lawful, justified, and proportionate. Local authorities possessing an organisational licence will no longer need to seek advance approval from Natural England to address certain specific public health and safety risks. This approach will be made available across England this year for areas that are suitable for these licences.
For other specific circumstances, individual Licences are also available to control gulls for the purpose of preserving public health and safety where necessary.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of restrictions imposed by Natural England on the ability of land managers to control the impact of gulls.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of restrictions imposed by Natural England on the ability of land managers to control the impact of gulls.
Herring and lesser black-backed gull populations have both declined in recent decades. An assessment carried out by Natural England (NE) has indicated that the scale of activity carried out under licences in recent years, were it to continue, would be above a sustainable level and would be likely to have a harmful impact on the population levels of both species. For this reason, it has been necessary to scale back the lethal control of these gull species.
In rural areas, where populations overall are known to be in decline, NE has set upper ‘safe’ number of birds that could be killed. Upper ‘safe’ levels have not been identified for lethal control in urban populations of gulls, as these are faring better.
Beyond a class licence for air safety, gull control is now via individual licence. In taking this decision, it was recognised that there would be an impact on the level of control particularly in rural areas, but this was considered necessary given the situation, so that licensed activity would need to be prioritised. NE considers the strength of need in each licence application individually but generally protecting human life and health is the overriding priority.
Any control to be undertaken under other purposes such as preventing serious damage and conserving wild birds and flora or fauna will need to be targeted. If applicants do not receive an individual licence, they may still be able to achieve some of their objectives by using alternative non-lethal measures.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor antibiotic resistant bugs in seagull faeces in the UK.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor antibiotic resistant bugs in seagull faeces in the UK.
The Government conducts surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in animals and publishes the results annually on GOV.UK in the Veterinary Antibiotic Sales and Surveillance report. These surveillance programmes do not include wildlife.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2019 to Question 206880 on Special protection areas, when the lesser black-backed gull is planned to be added as a qualifying feature to the Bowland Fells SPA; and whether there are...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2019 to Question 206880 on Special protection areas, when the lesser black-backed gull is planned to be added as a qualifying feature to the Bowland Fells SPA; and whether there are...
There are no plans to do so.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the urban seagull population in England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the urban seagull population in England.
Defra does not hold information in relation to a recent estimate of the number of urban seagulls.
Does the Minister agree that it would be totally unacceptable, cruel and messy for people to adopt the solution that has been circulated on the internet of using bicarbonate of soda and bread? That is a completely unacceptable way of dealing with the seagull menace.
Does the Minister agree that it would be totally unacceptable, cruel and messy for people to adopt the solution that has been circulated on the internet of using bicarbonate of soda and bread? That is a completely unacceptable way of dealing with the seagull menace.
I completely agree. An hon. Member whom I will not name raised that idea with me this morning and I told them off, because it is not acceptable to endorse such a cruel way of tackling the issue.
Hon. Members have referred to gull behaviour and to the fact that the...
I completely agree. An hon. Member whom I will not name raised that idea with me this morning and I told them off, because it is not acceptable to endorse such a cruel way of tackling the issue.
Hon. Members have referred to gull behaviour and to the fact that the...
Is the Minister aware of a point that I made earlier? Part of the problem is that a gull living in a town has less than half the life expectancy of a gull living in the wild, and that is one of the reasons for gulls’ diminishing numbers. Getting them...
Is the Minister aware of a point that I made earlier? Part of the problem is that a gull living in a town has less than half the life expectancy of a gull living in the wild, and that is one of the reasons for gulls’ diminishing numbers. Getting them...
I agree that that is the outcome we want, but we cannot just wish the issue away by saying, “Let’s get them out of towns.” I also agree that this is a man-made problem, because people are feeding and have lost control of the situation. The messages that we are...
I agree that that is the outcome we want, but we cannot just wish the issue away by saying, “Let’s get them out of towns.” I also agree that this is a man-made problem, because people are feeding and have lost control of the situation. The messages that we are...
The Minister is being generous in giving way, but either we want these gulls in urban areas or we do not—and we are clear that we do not. She is clear on that as well, so is she interested in exploring the idea of a regional protected status for gulls...
The Minister is being generous in giving way, but either we want these gulls in urban areas or we do not—and we are clear that we do not. She is clear on that as well, so is she interested in exploring the idea of a regional protected status for gulls...
I am afraid the law does not allow that—
I am afraid the law does not allow that—
Then let us change the law.
Then let us change the law.
It certainly will not be possible to do that until we leave the European Union, and I am concerned that opening up elements of regional protection might make the law unworkable. Nevertheless, let us consider that when the opportunity is there, in due course. I am sure the hon. Gentleman...
It certainly will not be possible to do that until we leave the European Union, and I am concerned that opening up elements of regional protection might make the law unworkable. Nevertheless, let us consider that when the opportunity is there, in due course. I am sure the hon. Gentleman...
Will the Minister give way?
Will the Minister give way?
I will just make a bit of progress, because I will talk about Scotland and Aberdeen—
I will just make a bit of progress, because I will talk about Scotland and Aberdeen—