§ Lord Mancroftasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals they have considered for the collection of fallen stock in those areas of Exmoor currently hunted by the three stag hound packs; and what will be the cost. [HL885]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Rural Affairs is aware of the role played by the hunts as a casualty service for the wild red deer. The European Union's Animal By-products Regulation will ban routine on-farm burial and burning of animal carcasses from 30 April 2003. This will mean that the existing fallen stock service provided by a number of hunts could only continue with considerable investment in new equipment. So the future of the hunts' service is in doubt irrespective of the Bill. The Government have been holding discussion with the livestock and disposal industry with the aim of developing a national fallen stock scheme.