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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the turtle dove population from further decline.

Turtle doves are a priority species for conservation in the UK.

In England the Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardships schemes continue to provide funding for the provision of both food and habitat to support the turtle dove.

Turtle doves are a target priority species for Countryside Stewardship. Under this scheme, Natural England is working with the farming community and key nature conservation Non-Governmental Organisations to put in place the right land management to benefit Turtle Doves in known species hotspots.