Fox Hunting in the UK - The Debate continues.....

[Guest guest]

Tuesday 3 December 2002 A Fox Hunt Ban… A Whole Ban And Nothing But A

Ban

 

Animal welfare groups today signalled the launch of the most intense

period of campaigning ever, to ensure foxhunting is consigned to

history. Campaigning to Protect Hunted Animals (CPHA) announced that it

would be stepping up a gear in support of backbench MPs who have

consistently voted for a ban on all forms of hunting with dogs.

 

CPHA - the League Against Cruel Sports and International Fund for Animal

Welfare (IFAW) and the RSPCA - welcomed news that stag hunting and hare

coursing are to be banned outright. However they warned that the

government's plans to licence fox hunting, to be outlined today by Rural

Affairs Minister Alun Michael, will not meet the government's commitment

to resolve the hunting issue.

 

In the Queen's Speech on 13 November it was announced that a Bill would

be introduced " to enable Parliament to reach a conclusion on hunting

with dogs. "

 

Douglas Batchelor, CPHA chairman and chief executive of the League

Against Cruel Sports, said: " Our three organisations will not accept any

attempt at compromise that amounts to licensed cruelty. Licensing by a

tribunal will open up a bureaucratic nightmare that will continue the

controversy over fox hunting indefinitely.

 

" MPs have voted on four separate occasions for a complete ban and CPHA

will be calling on them to do the same again by amending the Bill. We

will do everything we can to support them by stepping up our activity as

the Bill goes through parliament. "

 

CPHA has said that the final legislation must meet three criteria:

 

· It must resolve the issue once and for all.

· It must ban foxhunting.

· All parties must allow their MPs a free vote on this moral issue.

 

MPs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a hunt ban every time the

issue has been debated in the House of Commons since Labour came to

power in 1997. Almost 200 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion following

the Queen's Speech, reiterating their support for a total ban on hunting

with dogs.

 

 

 

Douglas Batchelor added: " The recent public hearings into hunting with

dogs proved yet again that the case against hunting is overwhelming on

grounds of cruelty, utility and morality. Ultimately this is a moral

issue that should be decided by parliament on the basis of a free vote

by MPs. The government is seeking to abrogate its moral responsibility. "

 

A MORI poll* published in September revealed that 73% of people

questioned think the government has taken too long to resolve the

hunting issue.

 

- ends -

Notes to editors

*MORI interviewed a nationally representative quota sample of 1,944

adults aged 15+ in 187 sampling points across Great Britain. Fieldwork

was conducted face-to-face, in-home between 22 - 28 August 2002. Data

are weighted to match the profile of the population

 

--

Dave Neale

Animals Asia Foundation

 

Find out more about the historic China Bear Rescue by visiting the

Animals Asia Foundation website at http://www.animalsasia.org