Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

Research into immuno-contraception—did I fail to say that? I thought that the noble Earl had asked about immuno-contraceptive work, which is going on. The amendments would not add anything to the work that the Forestry Commission has launched, setting out a future framework for control. As I said, the Forestry Commission supports partnerships and co-operative action in areas of critical threat. This subject has been raised before in your Lordships’ House. There was a spate of Questions on the fate of the grey squirrel, which it was my pleasure to be able to answer. The last Question was asked about five years ago. Following that, I received a letter from a woman who was researching the history of grey and red squirrels who lived in Sheffield to ask whether I was aware that Scottish landowners launched an organisation at the beginning of the previous century whose sole aim was completely to exterminate red squirrels from Scotland and that it exterminated 60,000 of them. I introduce that just to show that I read letters sent by members of the public. The Forestry Commission will support action. The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments was signed on 13 February 2004 and I will write to the noble Baroness giving the details of that convention. Great effort is made in specific areas, such as Kielder, in the north-east, to trap and kill grey squirrels using poisoned bait. Grey squirrels are not protected and may be killed by landowners. It is not that we are not taking the issue seriously. Many grey squirrels are present on land that is not owned by the Government. The Government have no power to invade people’s property to exterminate grey squirrels. They are not protected if landowners wish to do so.