asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have made an assessment of the report of the investigation by the League Against Cruel Sports into snares entitled The Silent Killer: Can the Code of Practice Stop Cruelty, and in particular whether its findings on compliance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs code of practice indicate that the operation of the code needs to be reconsidered.[HL898]

When Defra published its Code of Good Practice on the Use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control in October 2005 it also published the Defra Snares Action Plan. A copy of the action plan can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/pdf/snares-actionplan.pdf. The action plan clearly sets out Defra's commitment for research to be undertaken to monitor the voluntary uptake of the code, its practical application and impact. A research project will be procured in the near future. Defra will aim to review the code of good practice by the end of 2008 in the light of research findings and of its impact on snaring practices and results. Following the review of the code, Defra will consider giving it a higher legal status if appropriate. Nothing within the League Against Cruel Sports report changes that position.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs code of practice on the use of snares includes advice on their use on rights of way and on access land. [HL899]

The Defra Code of Good Practice on the Use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control includes the following advice:

“Snares must not be set on or near public footpaths, rights of way, near housing and areas regularly used for exercising domestic animals to avoid capturing pets”.

The full code is available from the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/pdf/snares-cop.pdf.