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

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing interim measures to protect hares during their breeding season pending the introduction of a statutory close season.

We have not considered any interim legislative measures to protect hares during their breeding season pending the introduction of a statutory close season. However, it is reasonable to assume that changes to hare coursing legislation, brought in under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, along with improved police tactics, intelligence and information sharing as well as the use of community protection notices (CPN) and criminal behaviour orders (CBO), has had an effect in terms of reducing levels of hare coursing in recent years, both within the hares’ breeding season and outside it. We are also committed to delivering our legally-binding biodiversity targets on species abundance, species extinction and habitat creation and restoration. This is helping to drive forward action to improve habitat such as open grassland which brown hares rely on to flourish.