rspp.myfastforum.org

zembu · Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Holyport, Berkshire

Yesterday I wrote to my MP as follows, and I think it would help if all readers of this would do likewise;

I write to ask you to demand on my behalf, that Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, get to grips with the maverick actions of Natural England, a member of the DEFRA family of organisations.

Natural England have been issuing licences for the release of Grey Squirrels.

Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the release of Species listed on Part 1 of Schedule 9, which includes the Grey Squirrel, except under licence.

It is my contention that the only acceptable reason for the issue of such a licence would be if it is necessary to release a Grey Squirrel for the purposes of research into how to destroy them.

The European Squirrel Initiative http://www.europeansquirrelinitiative.org has obtained from Natural England, knowledge of the release of 257 Grey Squirrels. Natural England has however, refused to give details of the licencees.

If you wish to know more about the plight of the Red Squirrel, and the necessity of controlling both Grey Squirrels and renegade organisations such as http://www.squirrels.info who support Grey Squirrels, I suggest you look at the European Squirrel Initiative site as above, and these other pro-Red Squirrel organisations http://www.pontelandredsquirrels.co.uk/ http://www.ulghamredsquirrels.org.uk/Index.html http://www.rspp.org.uk/index.html http://www.redsquirrels.info/

Further, European Squirrel Initiative has advised me of the following Early Day Motion No 328, which I would obviously like you to sign on to.

RELEASE OF GREY SQUIRRELS 20.11.2007

Maclean, David

That this House commends the work of the European Squirrels Initiative in saving red squirrels; notes with concern that the number of grey squirrels re-released into the wild, under licences granted by Natural England, has reached 257 over the last 18 months; condemns Natural England for breaking section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 without regard for Britain's native red squirrel population; and calls on the Government to take urgent action to prevent further decline of the red squirrel population in the UK.