SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HUNTING ACT 2004

Motion Text

That this House celebrates the second anniversary of the implementation of the Hunting Act 2004 and the end of the gratuitous cruelty of traditional hare-coursing, stag hunting and foxhunting; congratulates the hunts who have changed to drag hunting, eliminating the prolonged pursuit and barbaric deaths of defenceless animals; is delighted that the Act did not destroy 35,000 jobs or the economy of the countryside nor lead to the putting down of thousands of hounds and horses; is concerned at suggestions in the media that some illegal hunting is taking place; is disturbed that some extreme elements of the hunting fraternity believe themselves to be above the law and claim to break the law with impunity; is further concerned at the use of intimidatory tactics by some hunt supporters to prevent peaceful and legal monitoring of hunts; welcomes the three prosecutions in 2005 and further prosecutions in 2006 which demonstrate the effectiveness of the Hunting Act in targeting illegal hunting; notes that hunts have had adequate time to adjust; and now calls for rigorous vigilance and prosecutions of organised and systematic breaches of the Act.