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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure the crime of badger baiting is ended.

Badgers and their setts are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, which makes it illegal to kill, injure or take badgers or to interfere with a badger sett. Interference with a sett includes blocking tunnels or damaging the sett in any way.

Badger persecution (including badger baiting) is one of the UK’s six wildlife crime priorities. Each UK wildlife crime priority has a delivery group responsible for taking forward actions to gather and share intelligence to inform enforcement activities.