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1542919

registered interest
date	16/11/2022
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 to permit grey squirrels to be released by vet practices and wildlife rescue centres.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	89010
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p>It is the Government's position that the release of rehabilitated grey squirrels is not a harmless act and would actively work against efforts to manage this species. Grey squirrels negatively impact forestry and infrastructure, causing at least £37m pa. worth of damage to trees in England and Wales. Grey squirrels also have a disastrous impact on the native red squirrel population due to competition and the fatal transmission of squirrel pox virus. This has contributed to red squirrel populations reducing to approximately 38,900 from an estimated 3.5m.</p><p> </p><p>The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 (the Order) implements the retained EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation. The retained Regulation establishes a list of species of special concern and provides for restrictions on these species so they cannot be intentionally brought into GB, kept, bred, transported, sold, used or exchanged, allowed to reproduce, grown or cultivated, or released into the environment. In advance of the Order coming into force, a full public consultation was run in summer of 2019 seeking views on the management measures being considered by Defra for the widely spread 'species of special concern', which includes grey squirrel.</p><p> </p><p>In June 2020 HMG published their response to the public consultation on 'Invasive Alien Species: Management Measures for Widely Spread Species in England and Wales'. This confirmed the Government's view that there is no provision under the retained Regulation which would enable the Government to allow the species concerned to be taken in from the wild, rehabilitated and released back into the wild.</p> answering member constituency Copeland answering member printed Trudy Harrison question first answered 28/11/2022 13:50:40 answering member 4593 label Biography information for Trudy Harrison
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1176329

registered interest
date	05/02/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to (a) reduce the grey squirrel population and (b) increase the red squirrel population.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	12845
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting and expanding red squirrel populations and tackling the threats that grey squirrels pose to them. This is a devolved matter, and the information below applies directly to England. The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 is, however, joint legislation between England and Wales.</p><p>In December 2019 the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (2019 No 527) came into force. This legislation ensures that a number of listed invasive species, including grey squirrels, cannot be imported, kept, bred, transported, sold, used or exchanged, allowed to reproduce, or be grown, cultivated, or released into the environment. The Order is an important step in achieving the Government’s strategy to tackle invasive non-native species, as outlined in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. The risks posed by key widespread invasive species, such as the grey squirrel, will be managed though measures aimed at their eradication, population control or containment.</p><p>The red squirrel is protected under Schedules 5 and 6 of the Wildlife &amp; Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence intentionally to kill or injure a red squirrel or intentionally damage or destroy any structure it uses for shelter or protection, as well as to kill or trap the species using certain prohibited methods. Two Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Breckland Forest and Poole Harbour, have been designated in part to protect the red squirrel in England.</p><p>The Forestry Commission (FC) checks all felling licence applications against a large number of records, including the Red Squirrel Reserves. This allows them to highlight any potential issues and advise the applicant how to avoid the disturbance or damage of protected species. The FC also undertakes actions to protect red squirrels from the impact of grey squirrels more widely as outlined in the Grey Squirrel Action Plan for England.</p><p>In addition, the FC and Natural England (NE) are members of Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE), a red squirrel conservation partnership project managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, which works in seven northern counties. Defra, NE and the FC are signatories to the United Kingdom Squirrel Accord (UKSA), working with over 30 other signatories, including RSNE, to secure and expand red squirrel populations. Defra, in partnership with UKSA, has provided funding for work by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for the development of a fertility control method for grey squirrels. Further research is needed; however, the results continue to show promise as one potentially effective and humane method to control grey squirrel numbers in the longer term.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/02/2020 16:35:02 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1175937

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of red squirrels by the end of the current Parliament; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	12228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>The conservation of red squirrels is a devolved matter. The Government works closely with leading red squirrel conservation organisations who estimate the red squirrel population in England to be around 15,000.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/02/2020 15:23:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1175717

registered interest
date	03/02/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will amend the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 to permit the licensing of vet practices and wildlife hospitals to release grey squirrels in areas where they pose no risk to native squirrel populations.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	11522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>Releasing grey squirrels back into the environment, even in areas away from red squirrels, would encourage a wide range of further negative impacts associated with this species towards other native species, forestry assets and national parks.</p><p> </p><p>The release of grey squirrels can only be allowed as a management measure under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 if it contributes to the population control, eradication or containment of the species. The Government will, therefore, not be updating this Order to permit the release of grey squirrels by veterinary practices or wildlife hospitals. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not allow grey squirrels to be kept or released. The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order, which came into effect on 1 December 2019, thus brought England in line with the rest of the United Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p>Any grey squirrel that requires medical attention can be taken to a licensed facility where it can remain for the rest of its natural life.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/02/2020 15:00:46 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1147160

registered interest
date	30/09/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect red squirrels in Northumberland and (b) tackle the damaging effect of the invasive grey squirrel species.
tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
uin	292240
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter. The information below only relates to England.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to protecting and expanding red squirrel populations and tackling the threats that grey squirrels pose to them. The Forestry Commission and Natural England are members of Red Squirrels Northern England, a red squirrel conservation partnership project managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, which works in seven northern counties, including Northumberland. The Forestry Commission has also partnered with the Mammals Trust UK and Newcastle University on the Northumberland Kielder Forest Project, which considers the role that forest management can have in conservation of the species.</p><p> </p><p>The Forestry Commission undertakes actions to protect red squirrels from the impact of grey squirrels more widely as outlined in the Grey Squirrel Action Plan for England. This includes providing woodland management advice on maintaining red squirrel habitat and managing grey squirrels, including advising land-owners that receive funding through the Countryside Stewardship scheme who choose to control grey squirrels.</p><p> </p><p>Defra, Natural England and the Forestry Commission are signatories to the United Kingdom Squirrel Accord, working with over 30 other signatories, including Red Squirrels Northern England, to secure and expand red squirrel populations. Defra, in partnership with the Accord, has provided funding for work by the Animal and Plant Health Agency for the development of a fertility control method for grey squirrels. This research continues to show promise as one potentially effective and humane method to control grey squirrel numbers in the longer term.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 08/10/2019 11:32:02 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1142452

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the size of the red squirrel population in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
uin	HL17526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/08/2019 answer text <p>There is insufficient data to give an accurate figure however the recent Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals (2018), a report by The Mammal Society under contract to Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage, estimated the red squirrel population in England to be in the region of 39,000.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 08/08/2019 11:40:59 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4303 label Biography information for Baroness Kennedy of Cradley