Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which animal welfare groups her Department consulted on the new Code of Practice for the use of snares for fox control in England.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The Government has sought to improve the welfare of snared animals through the commission of snare use research and by working with stakeholders to produce improved best practice guidance and increase its observance by users.

Evidence obtained from the research helped to identify possible improvements to the code of best practice as well as to snare design. Defra worked with animal welfare groups such as OneKind, the League Against Cruel Sports and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as snare user groups to develop an improved guidance for the use of snares in England and Wales.

This improved guidance, which was supported by both sides of the debate, was then used as the basis for Welsh Government designed and owned guidance for Wales and snare user group designed and owned guidance for England.

By taking ownership of this guidance and showing leadership in this area, the snare user groups should be more successful in promoting good practice with their members and changing their behaviour than the Government would on its own.