Letter from Minister for Rural Affairs to interested parties on hunting with dogs
From the Minister for Rural Affairs
Rt Hon Alun Michael MP
10 April 2002
HUNTING WITH DOGS
In a Statement to the House of Commons on Thursday 21 March, I set out the way in which I intend to proceed on the contentious issue of hunting with hounds in England and Wales. The full text of my statement is attached for ease of reference.
There was a firm manifesto commitment to allow a free vote on the issue and to "enable Parliament to reach a conclusion". We provided both Houses with an opportunity for debate on 18 and 19 March. It is now my task to put proposals before Parliament to help resolve the issue.
As well as setting out the principles on which I intend to base the legislative proposals, I said that over the next six months I would consult widely on practical issues of detail as well as working on the drafting of a Bill. As part of this process, I am writing to give you the full text of my undertaking to the House and to stress that I want to look for common ground wherever possible. The legislation must be practical and robust, so I shall welcome any contribution you wish to make.
As I indicated to the House, the two key principles to be addressed are the prevention of cruelty and the concept of utility. Cruelty is already dealt with in our legal system in regard to a variety of aspects other than hunting. "Utility" addresses the need for particular activities, particularly in the work of land and wildlife managers. It might be described as the need or usefulness of an activity for vermin control, wildlife management, habitat protection or land management and conservation.
If you have comments or suggestions to help to establish the widest possible common ground, it would be helpful if you could let me know by Friday 26 April. Thank you for helping with this process.
Yours sincerely,
Alun Michael
Page last modified:
19 May, 2005
Page published: 10 December, 2002