§ Mr. Skeetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take to ensure that the standard of rabbit control by occupiers of land who are not members of rabbit clearance societies is as good as that on land of society members.
§ Mr. HareThe rabbit clearance societies in England and Wales now number 540 and continue to increase. They are doing excellent work and the rabbit situation on the land of their members is generally satisfactory. Some 70 per cent. of agricultural land is, however, still outside the societies and it is essential that comparable rabbit control should be exercised on this land.
I have therefore recently impressed on county agricultural executive committees the importance of making full use where necessary of the enforcement powers delegated to them to ensure that 168W occupiers who are not members of societies fulfil their statutory obligation to deal with rabbits on their land.