Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 19 Jun 2018
Bee Population

"My Lords, like others, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Bloomfield on securing this debate and join her in paying tribute to the Hymenoptera and other pollinators. I declare my interest as the owner of a farm. Actually, this is a bit of a humble brag of a declaration because …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Bee Population

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 06 Mar 2018
Agriculture: Gene Editing

"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage the use of gene editing in agriculture...."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Agriculture: Gene Editing

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 06 Mar 2018
Agriculture: Gene Editing

"My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper and, in doing so, I refer to my farming interests as listed in the register...."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Agriculture: Gene Editing

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 06 Mar 2018
Agriculture: Gene Editing

"I thank my noble friend for that reply. On the point about regulation, is he aware that Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Canada, the US and Sweden all now say that CRISPR and other gene-editing technologies should be regulated like any other plant-breeding technology—only faster and safer—and that Australia is about to …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Agriculture: Gene Editing

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 07 Feb 2018
Plastic: Recycling

"My Lords, with respect to marine pollution, will my noble friend also take a look at the issue of PCBs—polychlorinated biphenyls—and in particular at the work of Paul Jepson of the Zoological Society of London? He concluded that, although PCBs were banned in the 1980s, they are still getting into …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Plastic: Recycling

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 29 Jan 2018
Environment: 25-year Plan

"My Lords, it is always an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Oxburgh. I declare an interest as a landowner with a strong interest in practical conservation—for which, two years ago, I was proud to win the Bledisloe Gold Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society of England. That, I …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Environment: 25-year Plan

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 07 Dec 2017
Plans to Improve the Natural Environment and Animal Welfare

"My Lords, with the indulgence of the House I will speak briefly in the gap. I had not put my name down because I did not think that I would make it to the start of the debate, but as it happens I just made it. I will speak briefly …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Plans to Improve the Natural Environment and Animal Welfare

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 14 Nov 2017
Brexit: Food Prices

"My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the EU external tariff punishes producers in poor countries and consumers here in wealthier countries and that cancelling it on Brexit on products such as oranges, coffee and rice that we do not grow here would cut the cost of living for …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Brexit: Food Prices

---

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 07 Nov 2017
Japanese Knotweed

"Is my noble friend aware that by far the most effective technique for controlling Japanese knotweed is the use of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate, otherwise known as Roundup, which is under threat of being banned, even though it is entirely safe according to most international agencies, with the exception of …..."
Viscount Ridley - View Speech

View all Viscount Ridley (Con - Excepted Hereditary) contributions to the debate on: Japanese Knotweed

---

Written Question

Hen Harriers: Conservation

Monday 25th September 2017

Asked by: Viscount Ridley (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hen harrier nests in the UK were located in areas where the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds had primary control over access in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, and (3) 2017; how many of those nests failed to have any chicks fledge; and what were the known causes of those nest failures.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Wildlife conservation is a devolved matter so this reply relates to England only.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has primary control over access to two known hen harrier breeding sites: the RSPB reserve at Geltsdale and United Utilities landholding in the Bowland Fells.

Between 2015 and 2017, eight nests were located on these sites, six of which failed to fledge young.

Further details including known causes of nest failures are shown in the table below.

Year	Site	Monitored by	Outcome	Nest failure reason
2015	United Utilities	RSPB	1 Chick Fledged
2015	United Utilities	RSPB	Nest failed	Male disappeared
2015	United Utilities	RSPB	Nest failed	Male disappeared
2015	United Utilities	RSPB	Nest failed	Male disappeared
2015	United Utilities	RSPB	Nest failed	Male disappeared
2015	United Utilities	RSPB	Nest failed	Predation
2015	RSPB Geltsdale	RSPB	Nest failed	Male disappeared
2016	RSPB Geltsdale	RSPB	1 Chick Fledged

There were no nests on RSPB monitored land in 2017.

---