HC Deb 20 September 1948 vol 456 cc509-10
55. Mr. Anthony Greenwood

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give the figures for the number of deer killed in Somerset for each of the years 1938 to 1947, showing how many were killed by hunting them to death with hounds and how many in other ways.

Mr. T. Williams

As the answer contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Greenwood

While eagerly awaiting my right hon. Friend's fuller reply, will he not agree that these figures show quite conclusively that there are other methods of getting rid of these animals which are just as effective and far more humane than the rather crude and sadistic methods of the savage barbarians of the Quantock Hunt?

Mr. Williams

Not according to the information at my disposal.

Following is the answer.

Separate figures of the numbers of deer killed by hunting, and by other means, are not available, but only a very small number are killed by other means.

The number of deer killed in Somerset in each of the years 1938–1947
*1938 … … … 217
1939 … … … 412
1940 … … … 453
1941 … … … 192
1942 … … … 112
1943 … … … 94
1944 … … … 72
1945 … … … 109
1946 … … … 78
1947 … … … 113
*These figures relate to the hunting year from September to April and include some deer killed in North Devon by the Devon and Somerset Staghounds.