Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department provides to gamekeepers on the trapping and pest control of stoats.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government considers traps to be a practical and effective management tool which, if used in accordance with best practice, can be both targeted and humane.

Natural England has produced guidance on the humane trapping of stoats, which is available on the Gov.uk website at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/badgers-beavers-otters-and-pine-martens-how-to-trap-humanely.

Further information on the conditions and circumstances under which licenced trapping of stoats can occur – in relation to survey, research, or conservation work; or to prevent damage to livestock - and how the traps should be used can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/stoat-licences.