Foxes

Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville Excerpts
Thursday 17th June 2010

(14 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Henley Portrait Lord Henley
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My Lords, I was wondering when that question would come up. I have a feeling that the repeal of the Hunting Act would not make much difference in relation to urban foxes in Hackney.

Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville Portrait Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville
- Hansard - -

My Lords, although I appreciate that urban foxes do not live as long as rural foxes, does the Minister know the proportion of urban foxes to the fox population at large?

Lord Henley Portrait Lord Henley
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My Lords, some research has been done into fox numbers. It is believed that there are of the order of a quarter of a million foxes in the country and that in the region of 15 per cent are urban foxes, although those are estimates. If we brought in some form of immunocontraception, those numbers could drop further.