§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when a Minister in her Department last met the organisations listed on the reverse of the game licence. [22396]
§ Alun Michael[holding answer 17 December 2001]: It is intended to revise the wording of the licence as it is out of date in a number of respects.
Currently the organisations listed on the reverse of the licence are the RSPCA, the British Field Sports Society and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Ministers have many meetings which involve the RSPCA and the Countryside Alliance, which is the successor organisation to the British Field Sports Association. I have met both during the course of the last month. The Universities Federation for Animal welfare is a scientific and technical animal welfare organisation. It uses scientific knowledge and established expertise to improve the welfare of animals as pets, in zoos, laboratories, on farms and in the wild. There has not been a recent meeting with this organisation.
§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the text of the game licence was written; and when it was last revised. [22393]
§ Alun Michael[holding answer 17 December 2001]: Game licences are issued under legislation which has roots in the 19th Century. We have tried to discover the date on which the text was written, or revised, and it has proved difficult. The last changes were made in the 1970s.