AQW 11740/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 08/12/2020
Answered On Date: 18/12/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice what discussions she has had with the Chief Constable in relation to prosecutions by the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Wildlife Crime Unit.

Answer:

I meet with the Chief Constable on a regular basis and we discuss a range of issues. However, you will appreciate that prosecutions by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Wildlife Crime Unit are an operational matter for the Chief Constable. Nonetheless, I am aware that all reports of wildlife crime are taken seriously by PSNI.

I should also stress that I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any crime carried out against wildlife.