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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 12 April (HL6470), what progress they have made on the review of the Feral Wild Boar Action Plan, and when they expect that review to be completed and published.

Primary responsibility for wild boar management lies with local communities and individual landowners. Following a review of available guidance and in consultation with stakeholder organisations through the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)-led feral wild boar working group Defra will not be updating the feral wild Boar in England action plan which was published in 2008 in response to the first expansion of feral wild boar in the Forest of Dean. However, as part of ongoing work on improvements to contingency plans relating to wildlife disease management, guidance on Defra’s approach to feral wild boar in England and management of feral wild boar in relation to exotic disease risks are being reviewed and will be published on gov.uk in due course. This will be in addition to the advice and further information on licensing and legislation relating to wildlife management including wild boar which is already available on GOV.UK

Defra works closely with stakeholder organisations to ensure communities, local authorities and landowners have access to guidance and information where needed to control populations and mitigate the impact of feral wild boar in their areas working alongside government action to monitor the disease risks posed by feral wild boar.