Thursday 10th June 2010

(13 years, 11 months ago)

Petitions
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The Petition of residents of Hastings and Rye and others,
Declares that the petitioners believe that hunting with dogs is cruel; further
declares that the Petitioners oppose the efforts of local Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Amber Rudd and the Conservative Party to have the ban repealed, further declares that the Petitioners support the Hunting Act 2004 and the Back the Ban campaign; and that the Petitioners support Michael Foster, MP for Hastings and Rye, in his campaign to keep hunting illegal.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons reject any proposal to legalise hunting with dogs.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Michael Jabez Foster, Official Report, 30 March 2010; Vol. 508, c. 786.]
[P000802]
The Petition of residents of Blaydon Constituency and others,
Declares that the Petitioners agree with a ban on hunting with dogs, and believe the ban should be enforced rigorously and effectively; further declares that the Petitioners are opposed to any efforts to overturn the ban and allow the re-introduction of hunting with dogs in the future.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons reject any proposal to legalise hunting with dogs and asks the Government to reaffirm its opposition to hunting with dogs.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr David Anderson, Official Report, 30 March 2010; Vol. 508, c. 788.]
[P000805]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
The Hunting Act was passed by Parliament in 2004. It has not been a demonstrable success and is difficult to enforce. Only three hunts have been successfully prosecuted for illegal hunting.
There are many more pressing issues for parliamentary time at the moment, but the Government wish to give Parliament the opportunity to review the Hunting Act and, if it wishes, repeal this legislation. The Government will, therefore, put a motion before the House of Commons on whether the Hunting Act should be repealed and, if the motion is carried, they will bring forward legislation in due course.