§ 3.4 p.m.
§ LORD CARRINGTON rose to move, That the Non-Indigenous Rabbits (Prohibition of Importation and Keeping) Order, 1954, reported from the Special Orders Committee on the 23rd of June, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, as your Lordships will know, the disease known as myxomatosis has now become established among wild rabbits in this country. Although it is too early to estimate what will be the final outcome of the spread of this disease, it is certain that a great many rabbits will die of it. Farmers will want to take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of rabbits by destroying as many as they can of those which survive the disease.
§ The European wild rabbit, which is the species also found in Australia and New Zealand, is the only one which is susceptible to myxomatosis. It would be a pity if the effects of the disease and the efforts of farmers to get rid of the rabbits were frustrated by the importation of foreign rabbits which were not susceptible to the disease. This Order therefore prohibits the importation into Great Britain of species of rabbits that are not native to this country. Similar Orders are being made by the Governments of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
§ The cottontail rabbit is the North American equivalent of the European rabbit. It is slightly smaller but breeds just as fast and has an extremely healthy appetite; and we do not want it here. It lives more on the surface than the European rabbit and prefers the shelter of woodland and scrub to burrowing in the ground. For this reason, once established in this country it would be even 105 more difficult to control than our own rabbit. It is unlikely that farmers will import cottontail or other American rabbits, but some attempts have been made to bring them into France for sporting purposes and the Advisory Committee on Myxomatosis thought it would be prudent to prevent non-indigenous species from being introduced into this country. This Order gives effect to that recommendation.
§ The Committee did not think there would be any advantage in prohibiting the importation of European rabbits, because any person who wanted to reestablish them on his land could obtain them in this country. If he did think it worth his while to go to the trouble of bringing them in from abroad they would have no material effect on the rabbit problem. Moreover, we have no power to prohibit the importation of our home variety under the Destructive Imported Animals Act, which covers only non-indigenous animals.
§ Under the Order it will be an offence not only to import American rabbits but also to keep them here. The maximum penalty for doing either of these things is confiscation of the rabbits and a fine of £20 or, in the case of more than four animals, £5 an animal. I should perhaps mention that it will be an offence under the Act for an occupier who has these prohibited rabbits on his land not to notify the Ministry or the Department of Agriculture for Scotland. If any person thinks he has good reason to want to import or keep non-indigenous rabbits for show purposes, or for scientific research or other exceptional purposes, he should apply to the Ministry of Agriculture or the Department of Agriculture for Scotland for a licence. The Order is to come into effect on 1st August next. I beg to move.
106§ Moved, That the Non-Indigenous Rabbits (Prohibition of Importation and Keeping) Order, 1954, reported from the Special Orders Committee on the 23rd of June, be approved.—(Lord Carrington.)
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, I merely want to say that, although like, most of your Lordships I am not at all in favour of trade embargoes generally, this. I am convinced, is a special case which deserves exceptional treatment. It was one of the useful recommendations made in the First Report of the Advisory Committee on Myxomatosis, which consists of expert gentlemen whose advice deserves the most careful consideration. I think it is a recommendation which your Lordships will be willing to endorse. We now have an opportunity of reducing considerably, if not altogether wiping out, our rabbit population. It would obviously be a great pity if this opportunity were missed because we made the great mistake of introducing these rabbits which are immune to the disease.
LORD FARINGDONMy Lords, may ask the noble Lord whether he is satisfied that the delay before the Order comes into force will not permit the importation of these rabbits? It would be most unfortunate if this importation took place and, now that the warning has been given of the ban, there would, it seems to me, be time for importation to occur.
§ LORD CARRINGTONNo, I think that is all right. The very fact that we have had a short discussion on this subject will make quite plain what will happen to anybody who imports these rabbits.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.