This remains a highly emotive issue and I appreciate the depth of concerns for the welfare of animals and wildlife in Britain.
Our countryside makes up over 90 per cent of our land and adds over £250 billion to our economy in England alone, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the nearly 10 million people who call this their home. For many living in rural areas, trail hunting is a way of retaining their long-held traditions, as part of the fabric of rural life, which they can enjoy in full compliance with the law. I understand their concerns that banning trail hunting would have far reaching and, perhaps unintended, consequences to the rural economy and on rural communities which may not be fully appreciated. This further adds to growing concerns that the Labour Government does not understand and support rural communities.
The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act and completely bans hare coursing. Enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police and those found guilty under the law are subject to its full force. The investigation and prosecution of all criminal offences, including consideration of whether an actual offence has been committed, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, who have comprehensive powers to take action under criminal law. It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed and, currently, it is for locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners to hold their forces to account. This includes consideration of how the police tackle crimes that matter most to the residents and businesses who live in rural and urban areas alike.
Since the introduction of the Act, many hunting organisations across the country turned to trail hunting as an alternative to live quarry hunting. This involves a pack of hounds following an artificially laid, animal-based scent so does not involve a hunt for a live fox and therefore is not banned.
For an offence to be committed, it is necessary to prove that a wild animal is being hunted intentionally. Anyone who believes that an offence has taken place should report the matter to the police, as the police deal with complaints of illegal hunting. If proven, this can lead to a prosecution and an unlimited fine.
In cases where hunt or hunt personnel are proven to have carried out illegal activity, I understand that licence withdrawal would be considered. Decisions on the arrest and prosecution of those taking part in illegal hunting activities are matters for the police and prosecuting authorities. They will, among other things, need to take into account any failure on behalf of the huntsman to prevent the dogs from chasing or killing a fox. Legislation already ensures that digging up setts, bashing fox cubs on the head and breeding foxes to feed to hounds are all illegal, as well as abhorrent. The challenge relates to enforcement and prosecution and I hope the Labour Government ensures the police have the resources to tackle wildlife crime.
If anybody is found to be breaking the law on this sort of activity, I would fully welcome prosecutions being brought.
I understand that issuing a licence or giving permission for trail hunting is an operational matter for the landowner, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not play a central role in this. It is up to each Local Authority and landowner to decide whether trail hunting can take place on public land within its jurisdiction. Likewise, it is up to an individual public body or private individual to decide what activity takes place on its / their land.
With regard to hunt saboteurs, it is important to remember that, while peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society and as such, part of a long-standing tradition in this country where people are free to gather and demonstrate their views, I am very clear they must do so within the law. No matter what one believes about an issue, there is no excuse whatsoever for harassment, intimidation, or criminal damage. Therefore, I agree the Government should support local police forces in stopping any criminal activity by these individuals and groups, and where it occurs, the perpetrators should be also held to account.
