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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) red and (b) grey squirrels there are in the UK (i) now and were (ii) in 2007.

The Forestry Commission estimates that there are 15,000 red squirrels in England and over two million grey squirrels. The red squirrel population is fragmented, occurring only in isolated populations on the islands in Poole Harbour, on the Isle of Wight and across the north of England with Kielder Forest, in Northumberland, supporting around 60% of the total population.

This estimate dates from 2014 and no more recent data is available. There is no data available for red and grey squirrel numbers in England for 2007. Wildlife is a devolved policy matter.