§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many cases of breaches of the New Forest by-laws and the buckhunt licence by the New Forest Buckhounds have been reported to the Forestry Commission in each of the past five years, and what action against the New Forest Buckhounds has been taken as a result of such breaches.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)On only one occasion in the past year have allegations of breaches by the New Forest Buckhounds of the by-laws and the hunt licence been made in writing to the Forestry Commission. All the alleged breaches were investigated but none was substantiated, and no action was taken against the Buckhounds. No complaints of this kind were made to the Forestry Commission during the previous four years.