Hunting Regulatory Authority
British Foxhunters Offer Major Concession for Overturn of Hunting Ban
July 7, 2010
Foxhunters in Britain are backing plans for regulation of hunting by an independent authority in return for an overturn of the despised 2004 Hunting Act.
Hunt supporters have proposed creation of a Hunting Regulatory Authority (HRA) which would demand a strict code of practice to eliminate unnecessary suffering of the fox and to ensure that hunts respect animals, property, land, and crops. Flouting of the code could result in prosecution in the courts and, for the guilty, fines and disbarment from hunting. Hunters with hounds operate under a similar system in Northern Ireland.
DEFRA Minister Sympathetic to Hunting
June 21, 2010
British foxhunters are encouraged by signs of improved relations between government and hunting. It was not only what was said, but where it was said that raised hopes.
Jim Paice, the new minister of DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), last week reiterated the coalition government’s commitment to a free vote in parliament on the repeal of the Hunting Act of 2004. What's interesting is that Paice made the statement at the Annual General Meeting of the Masters of Foxhounds Association—the first time in memory that a DEFRA minister has attended that event.
