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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his commitment to introduce a licensing regime for game bird releasing on certain European protected sites for 2021, whether there are sites which have been identified as being in unfavourable status as a result of pheasant or red leg partridge release; what steps Natural England has taken to improve the status of those sites; and whether those sites have improved since the designation of that status.

Natural England works closely with the owners and occupiers of protected sites and routinely assesses consent applications to ensure that any gamebird releasing operations that may be proposed would not have harmful effects on the habitats and species of special interest for which these sites are protected. As of 22 February 2021, Natural England has assessed three European Sites (or parts of them) as being in an unfavourable condition as a result of gamebird releasing activity and requiring remedial action. Natural England continues to work with the managers at all these sites to investigate and remedy the issues identified, including enforcement action where appropriate.