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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the League Against Cruel Sports report, entitled Hunt Havoc: The Human Cost of Hunting With Hounds, published in October 2022, what consideration she has given to possible steps to protect pets and domestic animals.

The ‘Hunt Havoc’ report describes a number of incidents across the country involving hunts and calls for the Government to amend the Hunting Act to better protect not only wild animals but the British public, their property, and right to enjoy the countryside in peace. While such incidents are clearly concerning, and although we cannot comment on individual cases, most of the incidents described in the report are of a nature that would be likely to qualify as trespass or nuisance. Other activities such as trespassing on railways, livestock worrying, and threatening or abusive behaviour are already statutory offences.

Under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 it is an offence to allow any dog to be out of control in any place. Furthermore, section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 allows a complaint to be made to a Magistrates’ court by any individual, the police, or local authorities where dogs are dangerous and not kept under proper control. The court may make any order it considers appropriate to require owners to keep their dogs under proper control.

The Government has made a manifesto commitment not to change the Hunting Act, and I am satisfied that it would be unnecessary to set out specific offences under the Hunting Act when they are already covered under common law and statute. Where members of the public have evidence of such offences occurring, they should report it to the relevant authorities. Those found guilty of such offences should be subject to the full force of the law.