61. Mr. Dugdaleasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that strychnine, recommended in Advisory Leaflet No. 318, for destroying moles is an extremely cruel poison; what research has been carried out during the past 10 years with a view to making available a less cruel poison; and whether he will instruct his scientific staff to undertake field work for the purpose of 158W devising humane methods of controlling the mole population.
§ Mr. GodberIt is generally conceded that the use of strychnine involves suffering. Gassing has been tried as an alternative to poisoning, but without success. We are trying all the time in our research to find more effective and humane ways of controlling pests.
62. Mr. Dugdaleasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the traps recommended in Advisory Leaflet No. 318, for catching moles do not kill outright; and what evidence is available to show how long these traps take to kill.
§ Mr. GodberMy right hon. Friend is advised that the type of mole trap described in the Advisory Leaflet should be an effective instrument, but he has no evidence of the actual time it takes to achieve the destruction of the animal.