§ Lord Northfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What developments regarding night shooting of deer have taken place since the news release by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 2nd February 1995; what constitutes "exceptional circumstances" and "substantial damage" mentioned in the release; and whether it is agreed that a "management group" is not the only effective method of deer control.
Earl HoweThere have been no developments regarding the night shooting of deer since the issue of a news release by MAFF on the 2nd February 1995. As announced in the news release, the ministry's policy is to encourage the formation of deer management groups for controlling wild deer. However, the conclusions of a three-year trial on the effectiveness of deer management groups showed that it may not always be possible to establish such groups and that other solutions, including night shooting, might need to be considered. Any notices allowing deer to be shot at night would be issued only in exceptional circumstances and would be subject to strict control; the circumstances would include, for example, the degree of agricultural damage directly attributable to the deer, the availability and use made of alternative means of control and the willingness of local landowners to participate in voluntary control. These circumstances would need to be considered on a case by case basis.