Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to tackle trail hunts causing the death of foxes.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law.

The government recently passed the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, providing one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare.  This strengthened penalty sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated and will enable our courts to take a firmer ap-proach to cases of animal cruelty.