Hain lambasted over website backing hunting

Local & National

Thursday, March 15, 2007

By Mark Hookham

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has been accused of "crass ignorance" over a Stormont department's stance on fox hunting.

MPs belonging to a pro-hunting lobby group have lambasted Mr Hain after discovering a statement on the Department of Agriculture and Regional Development's website which endorses hunting.

Only last month Mr Hain declared that the Hunting Act, which banned hunting with dogs in England and Wales two years ago, was one of Labour's proudest achievements.

The hunting of hares, foxes and deer with dogs, however, remains legal in Northern Ireland.

And now a statement on DARD's website praises the benefits of the practice and stresses its heritage.

It states: "Hunting with hounds is an ancient field sport which serves as a practical control of foxes as well as the financial and productive advantages it creates for people in the countryside.

"It is also an equestrian activity very much enjoyed by many horses and riders alike."

Below the statement is an internet link to Irish Field Sports, which describes itself as Ireland's Premier Internet Site for Field and Country Sports.

A second link lists fox hunting sites in America and Britain.

The All Party Parliamentary Middle Way Group, which was set up to oppose the ban on hunting with dogs, said the government had scored a "brilliant own goal".

Tory MP Peter Luff, co-chair of the group, said: "This is truly amazing. This is the Government that brought in the Hunting Act and Peter Hain was one of that measure's strongest supporters.

"Does the minister know what is going on in his department or is hunting somehow cruel in England and Wales, but fine in Northern Ireland?

"Whatever the case, this shows either crass ignorance or blatant hypocrisy on the part of Peter Hain or perhaps it signals a change of heart by the minister - that would be very welcome, but somehow, I don't think I shouldhold my breath.

"His departmental officials who wrote this are right and the minister is wrong - it's that simple.

"I'm just sorry they didn't also mention the animal welfare advantages of hunting over other methods of fox population management."

DARD and the Northern Ireland Office refused to comment.

However, a spokesman for Peter Hain said the Secretary of State had not seen the statement and stressed it did not reflect government policy.

He said the wording on DARD's website would be removed and appeared to suggest that the government would consider banning hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland if devolution of power-sharing to Stormont fails to take place.

He said: "Peter Hain has always been opposed to hunting and was Leader of the Commons securing parliamentary time for the Hunting Bill and use of the Parliament Act to get it into law.

"He absolutely believes it is one of Labour's proudest achievements. This out of date text, which we have never seen before, does not represent either his views or government policy and will be changed.

"He sees no reason why the ban on hunting should not extend across the UK and in the absence of devolution it is one of a long list of issues we will have to address."

There are around 18 active fox hunts in Northern Ireland.