Lord Burns,
PO Box 31010,
London.
SW1H 9ZL

February 16, 2000.

Dear Lord Burns,

I enclose a submission, which I would respectfully request you to consider during your inquiry into hunting.

I hope it reflects the interests of many people in rural Britain who may not write to you because they do not properly appreciate that the social consequences of a ban on hunting are relevant.

Yours sincerely,

Vic Gardner, Publisher, The Countryman's Weekly.

THE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCE OF A BAN ON HUNTING

By Vic Gardner Publisher of The Countryman's Weekly

WHILE a ban on hunting cannot be classed as racial discrimination in the common usage of the expression, established country pursuits, the majority of which involve hunting with dogs, are carried on by people who have a great deal in common.

While these people - an estimated five million - may comprise those who hunt with dogs, their family, friends and supporters who share much of their appreciation of the country way of life,' many more people appreciate it and receive enjoyment from it indirectly.

LITERATURE - To a quantifiable degree, those who take part in country sports have their own literature. This includes a national newspaper, The Countryman's Weekly. A ban on hunting is likely to wipe out a whole genre of literature.

THE WAY WE SPEAK - Hunting with dogs has its own language. Many of the instructions given to dogs in the field do not actually comprise of words but sounds, which can be communicated to dogs verbally and with the use of a hunting horn. Horn blowing competitions are often held, and while they might sound rather noisy to those who are not familiar with this particular social event, it has a special significance for those who hunt with dogs. It is quite common for the "Going Home" to be blown by a Huntsman at the graveside of a hunt supporter. Many of the words used in the hunting field may seem like a foreign language, and many are colloquial or regional and do not appear in the dictionary. While based on conventional English, the phrases are often structured uniquely.

THE WAY WE DRESS - There is a dress code in the countryside, based not on the latest fad in the majority of cases, but of the need for waxproofs and tweeds to face the elements. The reason for the red hunting jacket is often misunderstood. Certainly hunt uniform is both practical when riding a horse, and traditional, but a red jacket helps the field identify the Huntsman. Terrier enthusiasts and those who use greyhounds and lurchers often dress differently. In the hills they require tough ankle boots because of the rocks and many sportsmen still wear gaiters.

MUSIC - There is the music associated with the countryside. To many the hymn Jerusalem' is something of a national anthem after God Save the Queen.' Fell singing is an interesting facet of Northern England and the hill packs but it is appreciated up and down the country and can be heard at national events such as the Country Landowners Association Game Fair. There are many hunting songs, John Peel probably being the best known Huntsman to feature in a song.

THE ART - Possibly the least recognised but all pervading contribution hunting with dogs and horses has made to the national identity is through sporting art. It is, in my view, without a doubt, both historically and in a contemporary sense, the best in the world. The wonderful oils depicting scenes of hounds and horses in the hunting field mean a great deal to those familiar with hunting, but also they appear on chocolate boxes and Christmas cards and are enjoyed by a great many people who have no connection with the hunting field. Leatherwork, hunt buttons, brass hunting horns, these things can be seen and are appreciated everywhere. Sporting art featuring hunting with dogs is alive and well and many of our contemporary artists have great talent. Exported works of art are testimony to a particular aspect of British life and are highly valued.

THE HISTORY - The history of hunting with dogs is well documented. A raft of publishers specialise in books of current interest and there are historical collections of one kind or another almost everywhere. In fact there are few enthusiasts who do not have an interesting collection of books on the subject. Many of these books contribute a great deal to our knowledge of the countryside and the problems faced by wildlife. While the nature of agriculture has changed, many of the principles associated with hunting with dogs have remained the same. There must be a quarry and there must be suitable habitat, with the benefit this brings to wildlife generally. At the heart of country sports there is a fundamental demand for a sustainable countryside.

FELLOWSHIP - The bond that is built up between those who are involved in hunting with dogs is a fine example of fellowship in its purest form. Fellowship in an academic sense is usually short-lived where social relationships are concerned but in rural Britain a fraternal interest in hunting with dogs, in whatever form, often results in a lifelong friendship. There are those who have a common interest in horses, those who have a common interest in the dogs used to hunt, those who organise shows and events, the multitude of business people who supply their needs. Through the Countryside Alliance they have shown the strength of this fellowship by marching together over 300,000 strong through the centre of London in the city's largest political demonstration, to defend hunting with dogs.

SOCIAL EVENTS - Small social events take place in pubs up and down the country. The hunts have skittles teams, quiz teams - the list is endless. Many of these pubs have names associated with hunting or country sports, pictures of the hunt on the wall, and in may cases these hostelries would be uneconomic without the patronage of field sports enthusiasts because of their remote location.

If you want to let your hair down in the countryside, then go to a hunt ball. While some of the most extrovert events might be difficult to defend, they make gossip for a year and the place of the hunt ball in the calendar of the foxhunting enthusiast is sacrosanct. While many social events of one kind or another fail due to lack of support, the hunt ball defies the trend. A fall in attendance can often be linked to damage caused to vehicles and people in previous years by hunt saboteurs.

There are summer shows up and down the country. These include hunt terrier and lurcher shows, hound shows and the bigger national events, such as the CLA Game Fair and the Midland Game Fair at Weston Park in Shropshire. Hundreds of thousands of people attend these fairs from Moy near Inverness to Werrington Park in Cornwall every year, and at least two thirds of the subject matter involves hunting with dogs to some degree.

FAMILY LIFE - There is something for all the family connected with hunting with dogs. A young boy may use a dog to mark a warren before entering his ferret and a girl may be a member of the hunt pony club (even if she doesn't hunt). Father will inevitably be involved to a degree in stabling and grazing and checking the ferrets are being looked after properly. Mum will always cook what the men bring home. They will have pictures on the wall, books on the shelves, videos in the cabinet, many of them in some way connected with hunting with dogs. Family transport may frequently be a four-wheel-drive vehicle or estate car customised to take working dogs as well as children. They will go off in it to a country show. There will be hand-made sticks with deer horn handles in the lobby with leggings, boots and all manner of outdoor apparel.

The children will have had the responsibility of animals at an early age, they will have had a great deal of healthy enjoyment as they enter their teens and they will have a life-long appreciation for the countryside and their culture throughout their lives. They, their parents, grand parents, friends and relations see a ban on hunting with dogs as a direct threat to it.

CHARITY: Donations are made by hunts, and at national events organised in tandem with the Countryside Alliance. They tend to favour rural services that may otherwise be under funded. Air ambulances up and down the country benefit, as do cottage hospitals, some larger hospitals, doctors' surgeries, charities concerned with cancer research and relief and many others. It does provide the hunt with a wider social role in the community, which is of benefit to many people.

THE FRIENDLY FARMER: We often ignore the fact that it is quite possible to stop foxhunting and other forms of hunting with dogs without Government legislation, simply by convincing farmers that they shouldn't allow hunts on their land. However, farmers are not convinced by anti-hunt propaganda. This says something about the service provided by hunts and the social bond between the farming community and those who hunt with dogs. No large sums of money change hands and no pressure is brought to bear on the farmer. Instead there is an understanding, frequently built upon a long-term friendship between trusted individuals. The hunt collects fallen stock, often repairs fences and ditches, carries out pest control which does not wipe out the species, and frequently coverts are improved or conserved to the benefit of wildlife. The great majority of fanners do not hunt, but the social bond between farmers and field sports is cherished on all sides and the hunts play a crucial part.

CONCLUSION: In this submission I have attempted in relatively few words to highlight what may be the social consequence of a ban on hunting with dogs. It has to be seen in the context of substantial erosion of a particular way of life, whatever the other considerations.

At the time of writing Prime Minister Tony Blair was touring the country speaking to farmers. While recognising their plight, he said that many people in rural Britain had a higher quality of life than did those in urban areas and they tend to live longer. Few would disagree with this. There is little drug addiction or other selfabuse, the pattern of life is less sedentary and more rewarding.

If this is the heritage that country men and women wish to preserve for their children, why is the Government intent on interfering with something the Prime Minister himself recognises has great merit?

Date uploaded to site 24 May 2000