Schedule 3 - Hunting with Dogs: Prohibition
Hunting Bill
11:15 am
Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury, Conservative)
The police reservations about a complete ban seem from the ACPO document to centre on two points, one of which is resources. I remind the right hon. Gentleman that the Government have said, in statements by the Minister to the House and in their impact assessment, that they would expect the costs of policing hunts today and of policing a ban, if it were to be enacted, to balance out. The Government therefore expect significant expenditure as a consequence of a ban. If the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) is correct, we are talking about upwards of £500,000 during an average year simply to meet what the Government are admitting to in the impact assessment.