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<p>I have been well informed of the discussions that my officials are having with
Natural England (NE) on this issue. NE’s licencing process for badger control includes
a detailed assessment of effects on protected wildlife sites such as sites of special
scientific interest (SSSIs). In 2018, NE’s successful defence of judicial review proceedings
against these assessments included a commitment to review its procedures on and within
2km of SSSIs, where they support bird species which may be vulnerable to a potential
increase in fox predation as a result of a reduction in badger numbers. NE will collect
information in order to make a judgement on whether sufficient fox control is taking
place to avoid this potential risk.</p>
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