§ Mr. Elliot Morley (Glanford and Scunthorpe)I wish to present a petition on behalf of my constituents and the Hedgehog Protection Campaign. [Interruption.] This is an important issue. It arises from an unfortunate incident in Pocklington in North Humberside of deliberate cruelty to hedgehogs.
The campaign has been organised because hedgehogs and other wild mammals are not covered by any cruelty legislation. The petition was organised by Mrs. Bell of 363 Messingham road, Bottesford. It calls for a change in the law to protect such wild animals, as the worthy Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) would have done if it had been successful.
With permission, I should like to read the petition. It says:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The humble Petition of residents in Glanford and Scunthorpe shewethThat wild animals such as Hedgehogs are being subjected to deliberate acts of cruelty.Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your honourable House will bring forward a Bill that will make cruelty towards wild animals such as Hedgehogs illegal.And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray &c.
§ To lie upon the Table.