§ Mr. Lewisasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the failure of the Wild Birds Protection Act, 1904, to prevent the use of pole traps, as illustrated by the case at North Greenhoe Petty Sessions on 7th June, when a summons under this Act for the setting of pole traps was dismissed for lack of proof that the Holkham Norfolk Estate Company, who own the estate, suffered or caused the traps to be erected; and will he consider the advisability of some amendment of the law to make landowners responsible whenever such traps are used by their employés on their land?
§ Sir S. HoareI am in full sympathy with the view that the law on this subject should not be framed as to make its enforcement unduly difficult: but under the existing Act any person is liable, who knowingly permits, suffers or causes a 1277W pole trap to be set. These are wide words, and in my opinion they could not properly be extended so as to make a person liable for offences committed without his knowledge.