Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there were for offences under wildlife protection legislation in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency, (b) Suffolk and (c) England and Wales in each of the last three years.

The coalition government recognises the devastating impact wildlife crime has on both the environment and in funding organised criminality, and we take the issue, both domestically and internationally, very seriously.

We have changed recording practices to ensure that, for the first time, wildlife crime is reported as a separate item in police recorded crime. However, we recognise that the legislation could be modernised and simplified. That is why we have asked the Law Commission to consider the scope for reforming wildlife law.

Offenders found guilty of offences under wildlife protection legislation in the Suffolk Police Force Area and in England and Wales from 2009 to 2013 can be viewed in the table.

Information cannot be separately identified by parliamentary constituency