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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help educate (a) the public and (b) landowners on their legal obligations in relation to badger protection.

The UK Badger Persecution Priority Delivery Group, of which Defra is a member, recently re-launched its Operation Badger initiative. Operation Badger aims to increase awareness of the many types of criminal activity such as illegal trapping, poisoning, and sett disturbance that threaten badgers and to educate and encourage reporting of suspected crimes against badgers.

Advice on badger protection, legislation and planning is also available on GOV.UK.