Schedule 1 - Exempt Hunting
Hunting Bill
9:15 am
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire, Conservative)
I am grateful to my hon. Friend.
''As in the case at Loch Leosaid at Ahmuinnsuidhe, dogs proved themselves useful indicators that mink were not present when it was thought that they were.''
The report was extensive, Government funded, and produced by a Government organisation. Its executive recommendation was as follows:
''Due to the importance of stopping mink from crossing the Sound of Barra, we would recommend that a programme to use dogs to locate mink (for subsequent removal by existing methods) be put in place in South Uist as soon as practical. We furthermore believe that any undue delay will increase the risk that mink may cross (especially in early Spring and late Summer), at which point lasting damage could be likely to be done to the project . . . Plans should be immediately drawn up for the integration of dogs into the existing trapping programme in the Western Isles.''
I have gone on at some length about the MESH report, but for good reason. It is a Government report that is at the drafting stage. The Government have concluded that dogs are the best way of sorting out the mink problem in the Western Isles. [Interruption.] The Whip, the hon. Member for West Carmarthen and South Pembrokeshire (Mr. Ainger), shakes his head and says from a sedentary position that that is not the case. If he does not believe that it is, it will be most interesting to hear the Minister argue against a Government-funded study in his reply. It will be most illuminating if he does.