Business of the House

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 28th May 2015 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I very much agree with my hon. Friend, particularly in relation to rural areas of Britain. Lincolnshire is a very spread-out county, and the loss of services from rural market towns can have a serious effect on communities. I commend him for his work in championing his area—and all the Members, and new Members, for Lincolnshire who I know will focus clearly on how we protect services in rural areas. I encourage my hon. Friend to request an Adjournment debate or to raise the matter during the debate on the Gracious Speech. The protection of services in rural areas remains a matter of the utmost importance and will continue to be so for the Government and for hon. Members.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

The increase in the number of kites, buzzards and other birds of prey and raptors across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has resulted in pigeon lofts being savaged and songbird numbers being decimated. As bird of prey numbers increase, other bird life decreases. I asked for a debate on this issue in the previous Parliament, so will the Leader of the House agree to a debate on it now, as it is very important for the future of all bird life across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

[Chris Grayling]

It is important that we ensure good environmental stewardship; some of the more controversial countryside issues in recent years have been about that. The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. People only have to drive through parts of the home counties to see the extraordinary number of red kites in the skies, bearing in mind that a few years ago they were almost extinct across most of the United Kingdom. I am sure that his points will be picked up by my colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and I encourage him to draw attention to the issue in this Parliament, both at questions and through the system of Adjournment debates.