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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Hunting Act 2004 to prevent dogs from (a) seeking out, (b) injuring and (c) killing wild mammals.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing. The Government does not therefore see the need to review the Hunting Act 2004.