§ 17. Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of a ban on hunting with hounds on(a) the Welsh countryside and (b) employment, tourism and economic development in Wales. [126710]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have made no specific assessment of the impact of a ban on hunting with hounds. However I am following this issue very closely as the potential repercussions on the Welsh countryside and employment, tourism and economic development in Wales are of course of great importance to me. The decision on the merits of hunting is a matter for Parliament and a free vote. It is a matter for each Member of Parliament to reach their own conclusion in the light of information which the Burns Report has added to the debate.
§ 21. Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had this year about further transfer of powers to the Welsh Assembly relating to hunting. [126714]
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§ Mr. Paul MurphyI regularly discuss a wide range of topics with my colleagues both in Whitehall and the National Assembly for Wales. It is anticipated that a Government Bill containing a series of legislative options will be introduced early in the next Parliamentary Session. As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary stated in the House on 12 June 2000,Official Report, columns 639–41 Wales and England are one common-law jurisdiction and as such the issue is not the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales. We have no plans for a transfer of functions to the Assembly in relation to hunting.
§ 29. Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received about banning the hunting of foxes with dogs. [126722]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have received no specific representations about banning the hunting of foxes with dogs, but am in close contact with colleagues in Whitehall as Government policy on this issue progresses.