Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many licences to shoot avian predators were issued in total in each of the past 5 years, broken down by species and catchments or rivers; and how this compares with the number of applications.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The number of licence applications received to shoot avian predators over the last five years is set out in the table below:
Year received | Number of apps received | Number of licences issued |
2023 | 494 | 518* |
2022 | 469 | 406 |
2021 | 554 | 408 |
2020 | 508 | 422 |
2019 | 563 | 463 |
*Due to licences being issued across an 8 month season which straddles years, more licences can be issued than received given any one year.
River and catchment data cannot be prepared within the timescale for response.
The number of licences issued to shoot avian predators in each of the past five years, broken down by species, is set out below:
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2023 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 439 |
Cormorant and Goosander | 11 | ||
Goosander | 39 | ||
Grey heron | 29 | ||
| 518 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2022 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 370 |
Cormorant and Goosander | 1 | ||
Goosander | 17 | ||
Grey heron | 18 | ||
| 406 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2021 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 355 |
Cormorant and Goosander | 5 | ||
Goosander | 24 | ||
Grey heron | 24 | ||
| 408 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2020 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 371 |
Goosander | 23 | ||
Grey heron | 28 | ||
| 422 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2019 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 405 |
Goosander | 24 | ||
Grey heron | 34 | ||
| 463 |
This data has been taken from the Transparency data published by Natural England located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-wildlife-licences-issued-by-natural-england-in-2023
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific measures have been taken by the Government and Environment Agency to meet their stated objectives and responsibilities with regard to the leisure fishing industry, and what criteria with measurable indicators and outcomes have been set to determine the degree of current and future success in delivery.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a duty to maintain, improve and develop fisheries for freshwater and diadromous fish. Income from angling rod licence sales is reinvested in work across the country including monitoring, enforcement, fish stocking, fish rescues, responding to incidents and providing fisheries advice. This work is partially funded by rod licence income. The EA reports annually on how rod licence income is used. The 2023 report can be found here (attached).
The Government recognised recreational sea fishing in the Fisheries Act 2020 (FA2020) enabling it to contribute to the Act’s objectives as required by the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). Recreational sea fishing is being integrated into Defra’s evidence-based Fisheries Management Plans, which set out how the JFS objectives will be delivered. Progress towards the JFS will be assessed and reported every six years, in-line with section 3 of the FA2020.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper From Harm to Hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives, published in December 2021, whether they will secure funding for local drug treatment services to help ensure the continuity of care for those released from custody with a drug treatment need.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol and drug related health harms, in response to local need. This includes supporting those who have been released from custody with high quality drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.
The Department of Health and Social Care is continuing to invest in improvements to local alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services to enable people to access high quality help and support should they need it. Funding for drug and alcohol services in England is provided through the public health grant. In addition, in 2024/25, the Department of Health and Social Care has allocated local authorities a further £267 million to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, alongside £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing and employment outcomes for people with drug and alcohol problems. The Chancellor will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the findings or results of Dame Carol Black’s recent work on drugs in the criminal justice system.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no plans to publish Dame Carol Black’s recent work on drug treatment in prisons.
Following Professor Dame Carol Black’s 2021 review of drug misuse and treatment in the community, Dame Carol was asked to assess the scope, quality, and effectiveness of treatment and recovery provision in prisons in England, and the support provided by the HM Prison and Probation Service regime. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention, and the Chief Executive of NHS England have received Dame Carol’s completed report.
The Government is considering the implications of the report’s findings across departments and agencies, ensuring that improved drug treatment for prisoners is part of the delivery of our Health and Safer Streets Missions.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure access to drug treatment services for those leaving prison on day of release.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Everyone leaving prison with a need for drug and alcohol treatment should be able to access high-quality provision that enables them to recover from their problems as quickly as possible. We will continue to ensure that the full range of evidence-based treatment interventions is available to address drug and alcohol needs among people who are in prison, or who have left prison, including abstinence-based interventions, to support recovery from drug and alcohol dependency.
A cross-Government implementation group has been established to support the introduction of the changes to the Standard Determinate Sentences (SDS40) that were announced in July, and includes the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, the Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England.
In September, the Department and NHS England issued clear clinical advice to support the delivery of SDS40 and give local services more flexibility to use additional drug and alcohol treatment and recovery grants to meet local needs.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government in order to reduce reoffending and enable rehabilitation what steps they are taking to support women released from custody, including those with additional vulnerabilities such as substance use treatment.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor has announced the creation of a Women’s Justice Board, with the clear goals of reducing the number of women in prison and addressing the distinct needs of women in the criminal justice system.
A bespoke resettlement model, with embedded probation pre-release provision, is in place in all women’s prisons. Pre-release teams screen for resettlement needs and signpost to specialist services within the prison, such as Prison Banking Administrators, Healthcare, and Rehabilitative Services. In liaison with the Community Offender Manager, they support pre-release planning activity throughout the period in custody.
Women-specific Commissioned Rehabilitative Services contracts deliver bespoke and specialist support to women on probation. including assisting physical and mental wellbeing; access to accommodation and employment; support with any finance, benefit and debt needs; maintaining relationships with families; and supporting any dependency and recovery needs.
We know that treatment is effective in reducing substance misuse, re-offending and other harmful outcomes. The Ministry of Justice works in partnership with the Department of Health & Social Care and NHS England to ensure that continuity of care is in place for all women leaving prison who have continuing drug and or alcohol treatment needs.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to complete the recruitment of (1) a permanent Chair, and (2) the first Chief Executive, of the Office for Place.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A public appointment campaign for a permanent Chair of the Office for Place was launched on 5 December 2023.
The appointment of the Chief Executive, who will lead the Office for Place in Stoke-on-Trent, will be made in line with standard civil service procedures and is expected to conclude in the new year.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to sustain and increase the stocks of trout and salmon in rivers and lakes in England and Wales in the face of predation by cormorants and other native and non-native birds.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The answer to Question HL1183 sets out the Government’s approach to managing bird predation on wild Atlantic salmon.
The Environment Agency (EA) manages salmon and sea trout fisheries in England. In 2018 national byelaws effectively closed the remaining salmon net fisheries and adjusted the seasons for the remaining sea trout net fisheries. In 2023, 95% and 89% of recreational salmon and sea trout catches respectively were released, alive. This has been achieved through a combination of voluntary or mandatory measures. Where necessary, the EA has introduced river specific regulatory measures to better protect sea trout, including size restrictions and bag limits.
The EA also works with partner organisations to address other pressures facing salmon and sea trout, such as barriers to fish passage. A full list of actions related to salmon can be found in the England and Wales “Implementation Plan” (copy attached) to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), along with annual progress updates available on NASCO’s website. The EA is currently re-assessing the key pressures on salmon, in England, ahead of producing a new implementation plan in 2025/26.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proposals they have for encouraging and developing private and business leisure fishing in rivers and lakes in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a statutory duty under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) to maintain, improve and develop fisheries. In addition, ministerial guidance they received in 2000 confirmed the need to:
- ensure the conservation and maintain the diversity of freshwater and migratory fish, and to conserve their aquatic environment.
- enhance the contribution migratory and freshwater fisheries make to the economy, particularly in remote rural areas and in areas with low levels of income; and
- enhance the social value of fishing as a widely available and healthy form of recreation.
The EA promotes angling as a widely available and healthy outdoors activity. Getting more people to take up fishing involves working closely with partners, particularly the Angling Trust. This work also results in social, health and wellbeing outcomes.
The EA provides advice and guidance for fishery owners, including commercially run venues, and invests income from rod licence sales to support projects to improve fisheries and facilities for anglers. This improves economic benefits for many angling stakeholders and businesses within local communities, many in rurally deprived areas.
These responsibilities are undertaken by the EA throughout England, the role in Wales sits with National Resources Wales.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any proposals to license the increased culling of cormorants and other predatory native and non-native birds in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides licensing functions to permit the control of piscivorous birds, most often cormorants, to protect fisheries where it can be shown that non-lethal measures are failing to manage predation.
Licences are issued by Natural England, which has responsibility for setting a prudent upper limit on cormorant control to ensure that licensed removal does not irreversibly affect their conservation status. Licensing returns are monitored to ensure this limit is not breached. The Government is not currently proposing to license an increased culling of cormorants or other predatory species of birds.