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Wildlife

Volume 503: debated on Wednesday 6 January 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what species of wildlife (a) his Department and (b) Natural England (i) has re-introduced to England since 1997 and (ii) plans to re-introduce to England. (308570)

DEFRA itself has not reintroduced, and does not plan to reintroduce, any species to England.

Since 1997 Natural England and its predecessor bodies have, with partners, re-introduced into England the following four species, which had previously become extinct:

Corncrake (Crex crex)

Pool Frog (Rana lessonae)

Pedunculate Sea-purslane (Atriplex pedunculata)

Interrupted Brome (Bromus interruptus)

Natural England is involved in planning the reintroduction of the following two species into England:

White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

Short-haired Bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus)

These projects will only go ahead if the required licences are secured and they are shown to meet internationally agreed guidelines produced by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) Natural England has spent on re-introducing species of wildlife to England in each year since 1997. (308571)

DEFRA itself has not spent money on re-introducing species of wildlife to England.

Natural England has spent the following amounts on re-introducing wildlife species in England:

£

2007-08

25,000

2008-09

26,000

They plan to spend £52,000 in 2009-10.

The figures quoted are part of the cost of Natural England's Species Recovery programme, of which re-introduction is one component.

Information regarding any such expenditure by Natural England's predecessor, English Nature, is not readily available at this time.