To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer of 31 March, Official Report, column 270, what advice has been obtained before granting a licence to allow dogs to be entered into a badger sett; what criteria have been applied to determine whether, when and to whom such a licence should be granted; what measures have been taken to ensure that the minimum harm possible is suffered by dog and badger; and what are the conditions attached to the granting of any such licence.

Any licence application to permit the entry of dogs into badger setts would be judged on its merits, taking account of advice from wildlife experts from the Agricultural Development Advisory Service following a site visit. Conditions attached to a particular licence will reflect the circumstances of the case.