§ 44. Mr. Championasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to implement Recommendation No. 9 of the Committee on Cruelty to Wild Animals, 1951, to the effect that it should be made an offence to set a snare to catch a deer.
§ Mr. SimonMy right hon. Friend is informed by the Forestry Commission that the snaring of deer on its property is authorised only in very exceptional circumstances where there is no other effective means of control. He has no information about the extent of snaring by other people which would justify the introduction by the Government of legislation to forbid it.
§ Mr. ChampionIs the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the Henderson Committee in 1951 reported strongly against this practice and asked the Home Secretary to ban it? Is he aware that in cases where the snare does work properly prolonged suffering to the animal can be caused, and where it does not work properly there is a good deal of additional suffering? Will he not ask his right hon. Friend to look at this again?
§ Mr. SimonI am aware of the views of the Henderson Committee on the matter, but there has been a great change in practice in consequence of the Committee's findings. For example, in the five years between 1946 and 1950 the Forestry Commission snared 699 deer, whereas in the last two years none has been snared. I will certainly draw what the hon. Member has said to the attention of my right hon. Friend.