To ask Her Majesty's Government in the light of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, what steps they are taking to ensure that line catch and spring operated mole traps are inspected at least once every 24 hours.

Whilst there is no specific time period for checking mole traps, it is good practice to check them frequently enough to ensure that they do not cause any unnecessary suffering. Failing to do this may leave the operator open to prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. However, only a court would be able to make a final decision as to whether an offence of causing unnecessary suffering had been committed, based on the individual circumstances of the case.

Guidance on the control of moles is available from Natural England, which includes guidance on the use of traps.