§ Lord Hardy of Wathasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they expect the hare population in England to rise or to fall, should current lawful coursing be banned [HL902]
§ Lord WhittyThe conclusion of the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales (Burns Report) was that hare coursing has a relatively small direct impact on hare numbers. A ban would have little effect in practice on the hare population but would eliminate one form of cruelty (Burns paragraph 5.94).