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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for individual licences for the control of (a) jackdaws, (b) jays and (c) rooks to conserve wildlife within European protected sites have been refused.

In 2020 Natural England has refused 19 such individual licences for jackdaws, 13 for jays and 11 for rooks within European protected sites and a 300 metre buffer zone around them.

Natural England has not granted any such licences for jackdaws or rooks this year but has granted one for jays.

Before granting such an individual licence Natural England requires evidence that:

• there is a genuine problem to resolve or need to satisfy, for which a statutory licensing purpose applies
• there are no satisfactory alternatives, including non-lethal solutions having been tried or considered and shown to be ineffective
• the licensed action will contribute to resolving the problem or meeting the need
• the action to be licensed is proportionate to the problem or need
• the licenced action will not have an adverse effect on the conservation status of any species or habitat