Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether and why they welcome or deplore the successful if unintended reintroduction of wild boar to large areas of Kent and East Sussex.
§ Baroness HaymanThe indiscriminate release of animals not ordinarily resident in Great Britain in a wild state and of uncertain genetic origin is not welcome. Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits such releases. The impacts of an unmanaged wild boar population are uncertain but may result in damage to features of nature conservation interest. While there have been sporadic sightings of wild boar in the wild, many of these have not been substantiated, and there is no confirmed evidence of established breeding populations in the wild.