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)
A change of that sort is very much to be desired. A more humane method invented to deal with a particular pest might well mean that a change should be made in the Bill. It would not change the structure of the Bill. If one found a way of dealing with rats that did not involve using dogs, a change could be made. I do not see that that is likely or possible, given the current methods available.
The Bill would take account of future activity. In the 1960s, no one would have referred to the hunting of mink. The species is not native to this country and was not hunted at that time. Under previously proposed legislation, if a new pest species emerged, new legislation would have to be drafted. Someone jokingly referred to wallabies this morning. If they became a pest in the British countryside that needed to be eradicated and dogs were to be used to deal with them, there would be no need for a change in the structure of the Bill. The problem could be taken care of under the system of the registrar and the tribunal. That was what I meant when I said that future developments would be taken care of.
The Bill says that hunting is exempt if it is within a class specified in schedule 1. It goes on to say that the Secretary of State may amend schedule 1 by order so as to vary a class of exempt hunting. The variation would be possible in the Bill should things change. My point stands.