§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many prosecutions for taking game without a licence there have been in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available. [HL697]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonTaking game without a licence is an offence under Section 23 of the Game Act 1831. The number of defendants prosecuted for taking game without a game licence cannot be separately identified in information held centrally on the Home Offices's Court Proceedings Database, from the number of defendants prosecuted for the offences of laying poison to destroy game, taking or destroying eggs of game, killing game on Sunday or Christmas Day, killing game out of season and the occupier of land killing game without authority under Sections 3, 12 and 24 of the Act.
It is also an offence under the Game Licences Act 1860, but these similarly cannot be distinguished from other offences under this Act.
The number of defendants proceeded against for all the offences mentioned above under the Game Act 1831 during 2001 in England and Wales was seven and under the Game Licences Act 1860 was also seven.
Figures for Scotland show that there were nil and four defendants proceeded against under these statutes respectively during 2001.
The latest figures available for Northern Ireland relate to 1999, which show that no proceedings were taken under these statutes in that year.