§ Lord Robertson of Oakridgeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their policy on the increase in the number of wild boar, in particular in relation to their potential as carriers of swine fever, and their unpredictable nature and the consequent risk to the public.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman)Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the release of animals not ordinarily resident in Great Britain in a wild state. The wild boar qualifies as such an animal.
There have been alleged sporadic sightings of wild boar in the wild, but not all have been substantiated, and there is no confirmed evidence of established breeding populations in the wild.
Feral boar do not at present pose a notifiable disease threat because Great Britain is free of Classical Swine Fever. In response to reports of the presence of feral wild boar, the Government have engaged in a risk assessment exercise.