On 29 October, the government announced that it will hold a consultation on implementing a full ban on trail hunting.
Defra Minister, Angela Eagle, said:
“This government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a full ban will be held early next year.”
There was a robust and coordinated response to this announcement from the British Hound Sports Association and the Countryside Alliance. Ben Wallace, chairman of the joint hunting campaign, said: “Legislating on trail hunting is completely out of step with the priorities of rural voters and those in towns and cities. The last time Labour was in government, Tony Blair wasted 700 hours of parliamentary time banning traditional hunting and with so many other urgent issues facing the country it is madness that Ministers are now planning to spend even more time on trail hunting.
“After its attack on family farms and the chaos over agri-environmental schemes, legislation on trail hunting is another Labour attack on the countryside. A ban on trail hunting is unnecessary and unjustified.”
The Minister’s response was to a question from Labour MP Ian Byrne which asked the Secretary of State whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward proposals to strengthen the Hunting Act 2004 by a) removing exemptions, b) introducing custodial sentences for illegal hunting and c) banning trail hunting,
The response in full was:
“This government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a full ban will be held early next year. The nature of trail hunting makes it very difficult to do so safely. The use of large packs of hounds reduces the control huntsmen have, putting wild mammals, household pets and even members of the public at risk. Trail hunting also provides a convenient cover for those seeking to participate in illegal hunting activities by obscuring their intention and enabling the inevitable chasing of animals to be labelled as ‘accidental’. This is why we want an effective, enforceable ban that truly protects our wildlife, countryside and rural communities.”