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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase numbers of and habitat for capercaillies.

Capercaillies are protected under the Wild Birds Directive and its habitat is afforded protection through the network of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the Directive. In England the species does not occur in sufficient qualifying numbers to warrant SPA provision.