§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many prosecutions of illegal hare coursing took place in each of the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002; and what was the maximum fine imposed. [HL4877]
§ Lord WhittyProsecutions for illegal hare coursing cannot be separately identified on the Home Office court proceedings database, so information is largely anecdotal. For instance, in a recent case, brought primarily under Section 30 of the Game Act, an individual was fined £600 and required to forfeit his vehicle.
18WA
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many illegal hare coursing events were notified to the police in each of the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. [HL4878]
§ Lord WhittyThe figures for the number of notifications for trespass for the purposes of illegal hare coursing reported to the police for the years 1998–2002 are not available because trespass for this purpose is not separately identified. We understand from the police that incidents are reported on a daily basis to them, and we believe that the number of incidents reported may be much smaller than the number of illegal events taking place. Ministers have received many complaints about threats, intimidation and violence associated with illegal hare coursing and a number of police forces have developed strategies to curb the impact of this activity on local communities. The Hunting Bill contains powers to enable the police to intervene effectively in future.