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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the illegal killing of hen harriers.

All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with strong penalties for committing offences against birds of prey and other wildlife.

The Government takes wildlife crime very seriously and raptor persecution is a UK wildlife crime priority and has a delivery group led by a senior police officer to consider what action should be taken, and develop a plan to prevent crime, gather intelligence on offences and enforce against it. It focuses on the golden eagle, goshawk, hen harrier, peregrine, red kite and white tailed eagle.

The National Wildlife Crime Unit, which Defra funds jointly with the Home Office, monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting birds of prey and provides assistance to police forces when required.

The Government has also published the Hen Harrier Action Plan, setting out proposals to increase hen harrier populations in England and includes measures to stop illegal persecution. A copy of the plan can be accessed at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/491818/hen-harrier-action-plan-england-2016.pdf.