§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times in each of the last five years the hunting of foxes with hounds has taken place in each named location forming part of his Department's estate. [17732]
§ Mr. SpellarThis information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Salisbury Plain Training Area and the Otterburn Training Area are, however, the most frequently hunted parts of the Defence Estate.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means fox numbers on his Department's estate are reduced other than by hunting with hounds. [17731]
§ Mr. SpellarIn addition to hunting with hounds, fox numbers are reduced on the Defence Estate through licensed individuals and organisations, generally through shooting.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those parts of his Department's estate by name where most foxes have been killed by hounds in each of the last five years, giving the number of foxes so killed in each case. [17734]
§ Mr. SpellarAlthough this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, we believe that a large proportion of the foxes killed by hounds on the Defence Estate are taken on the Salisbury Plain Training Area and the Otterburn Training Area.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the number of foxes killed(a) by hounds and (b) by other means on his Department's estate in each of the past five years. [17733]
§ Mr. SpellarThe information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We estimate, however, that some 350–400 foxes are killed on the Defence Estate each year by hunting with hounds, and that approximately three times this number are accounted for by other means.