Hunting

Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to police forces maintaining public order at hunt meetings was (a) before and (b) since the Hunting Act 2004 was introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McNulty
This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Julie Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training has been provided to police on the enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004.

Mr. McNulty
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has issued specific guidance to forces and provided a training package covering strategic and tactical considerations in relation to the enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004. Furthermore, the initial police learning and development programme (IPLDP) provides all forces in England and Wales with the flexibility to tailor their individual training packages for new police officers to meet the needs of the community that they serve. Legislation that is especially relevant to the policing of a particular community will be incorporated within the delivery of the programme in that area, thus paving the way for student officers to develop a more detailed understanding of local issues at an early stage in their careers.