HUNTING WITH DOGS IN SCOTLAND

Early day motion 168, tabled 20 November 2002 by Peter Luff (Conservative). Signed by 9 members.

That this House notes that hunting with dogs remains legal in Scotland, despite the enactment of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, that mounted hunts will now operate with shotguns as well as dogs and, as a consequence, will inevitably be wounding foxes in a way which has never occurred in the past with such hunts, and that even if a fox is not shot, but is caught and killed by hounds, this will not be an offence; and believes that, in animal welfare terms, far from being a step forward, Scotland has, on balance, increased suffering in a way that effective regulation would not.

Signatures by party: Labour 4, Conservative 2, UUP 2, Liberal Democrat 1.