Schedule 1 - Exempt Hunting
Hunting Bill
2:30 pm
Mr Alun Michael (Minister of State (Rural Affairs), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Cardiff South and Penarth, Labour/Co-operative)
I do not accept that. I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman does not want to lead me into trouble with you, Mr. Stevenson, but we discussed mink this morning. With any species, one applies the test of the extent to which it is a pest in the terms defined in clause 8(1). If the test is satisfied, the species is eligible to go into the exempt category. On the evidence of the alternative methods available and the extent to which hunting with dogs satisfies the criterion of being the least cruel method of dealing with it, I have proposed the two exemptions in the Bill.
The Bill exempts the hunting of rabbits with dogs from the requirement for registration because an examination of the evidence led me to the view that that method of controlling rabbit populations would satisfy the utility and cruelty tests and that it causes less suffering than alternative methods of control. The amendments would require all hunting of rats and rabbits to be subject to registration. That would impose an unnecessary burden on farmers and gamekeepers as well as on the registrar and the tribunal, so I strongly oppose the amendments.