§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to review the law on the hunting of farm-reared deer or stags; if he will set out the legal provisions on carting which are specific to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [21687]
§ Mr. MossI have no plans to review the law on the hunting of farm-reared deer or stags.
Under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, it is illegal intentionally to kill, injure or take, without a licence, any species of deer during the close season or at night during the open season. It is also an offence, under that order, to take and remove any live deer at any time without a licence. These provisions do not apply to any person who keeps and breeds deer for the purposes of a trade or business certified by the Department of Agriculture or to veterinary practitioners in the course of their work.
In addition, the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 provides for the general protection of all animals from cruelty. Under the Act, it is illegal to hunt any animal—other than a domestic animal—which is released for that purpose, if it is released in an injured, mutilated or exhausted condition or the animal is hunted in an enclosed space from which there is no reasonable chance of escape.