Labour criticised over amendment that would remove financial assistance to farmers

The Labour Party has been criticised, after submitting an amendment to the Agriculture Bill that would remove all government financial assistance to farmers carrying out pest control, including rats.

The controversial amendment, that was tabled by Plymouth MP Luke Pollard and other urban Labour MPs, stated "Amendments 49 and 50 would provide that no financial assistance can be given for land which is to be, or has been, used for hunting (including exempt hunting), or on which an offence has been committed under the Hunting Act."

The amendment was defeated at a meeting of the Agriculture Bill Committee yesterday afternoon, Thursday 27th February 2020.

The Hunting Act, which was passed under the then Labour Government in 2004, allows for a limited number of exemptions recognising the need for pest control and animal welfare considerations.

If it were passed, the amendment as worded, would have penalised anyone who had killed a rat with a dog, used a dog to track and euthanise an injured deer, or used a terrier to flush a fox in the last 15 years.

The Agriculture Bill will replace European Union Common Agriculture Payments with a UK scheme, that will underpin UK farming for the foreseeable future.

Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance said "It is staggering that when presented with one of the most significant pieces of legislation facing the countryside for a generation, that the priority for a group of Labour MPs was an attack on hunting.

What is worse is this prejudiced attack clearly aimed at mounted hunts would actually have had a huge impact across the farming sector.

The Labour MPs involved need to urgently put aside their prejudice, engage with rural people and start to understand how farming works and the scope of the hunting legislation the last Labour government passed".

ENDS

1. For the full amendment, please see here: Clause 2, page 3, line 35, at end insert—

"(5A) Financial assistance shall not be given for any act or activity in pursuit of a
purpose under section 1 if the land on which that act or activity is to take place is
to be used by the applicant, or by a person acting with the consent of the applicant,
for hunting of a wild mammal with a dog, whether or not that hunting is exempt
under section 2 of the Hunting Act 2004."

Member's explanatory statement
Amendments 49 and 50 would provide that no financial assistance can be given for land which is
to be, or has been, used for hunting (including exempt hunting), or on which an offence has been committed under the Hunting Act.