As the Parliamentary Species Champion for Swifts, I wrote to the Government asking them to make swift bricks compulsory in all newly built homes. This would create safe nesting places for swifts around the country and help reverse their decline as a species.

Unfortunately, the Minister has now (after a long delay) responded to say that the Government opposes making swift bricks compulsory, citing existing local authority powers to encourage developers to do this.

It is disappointing that the Government will not take a simple step like this to help restore an incredible species like the swift, whose numbers have declined by more than 50% in the last 25 years, but I will keep pressing for action until they do.