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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the theft of (a) wild birds and (b) wild bird eggs in the UK.

The Government takes wildlife crime, including the illegal taking of wild birds and their eggs, seriously. All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which provides a powerful framework for the conservation of wild birds, their eggs, nests and habitats. There are strong penalties for offenders, including imprisonment.