Schedule 1 - Exempt Hunting
Hunting Bill
5:30 pm
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton, Conservative)
The deer are managed by the hunting fraternity, but there are also deer societies, and there is some element of crossover of information between
those societies and DEFRA. As I have said, Martin Capstick, the EU wildlife director for DEFRA, knows that the management of Exmoor deer is carried out by the hunt and is concerned that there will be a problem if the hunt disappears. We wanted to hear from the Minister of any progress yet made in DEFRA on what it would use to replace hunting when that was banned. We were sadly disappointed that the ball was put straight back into our court.
Time may not wait. As I have said, rumours abound locally that many landowners will not tolerate the deer coming on to their land. If they know that hunting will be banned and they will not be able to get the benefits—as they see them—of it, they will dispatch those deer before an alternative plan can be brought into existence.