1.

INTRODUCTION

The National Trust was founded in 1895 as an independent charity to hold, in perpetuity, countryside and historic buildings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the benefit of the nation. It is governed by the National Trust Acts of Parliament 1907 to 1971.

The National Trust owns and manages a largely rural estate of over 245,000 hectares. This includes 183 houses of historic interest and also some 20,000 farm houses, farm buildings and smaller residential buildings including 46 villages. We have more than 1,100 farm tenants. Of the agricultural estate, the majority is based on livestock production and approximately 60 % is in upland areas.

We employ 3,276 permanent and 3,600 seasonal staff. We help to sustain a wide range of rural businesses and community-based activity. We work with many people including 38,000 volunteers. The Trust has nearly 2.7 million members and up to 50 million visits are made to National Trust properties each year.

The Trust is thus engaged with many sorts of people and relies upon their support. It impinges on the lives of innumerable individuals and social groups across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust has been engaged in the conservation of the countryside since 1895 and is the largest non-governmental conservation organisation in Europe. Unlike most landowners, the Trust has a primary and statutory responsibility to hold its property for preservation and to manage it creatively for the benefit of the nation. It has power to provide permanent protection and ownership by declaring its properties inalienable which means that they cannot be sold or mortgaged, or, unless the Trust consents, compulsorily purchased without invoking a special procedure of parliament.

PREAMBLE TO RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

2.1.

The following response to the call for written evidence to the Burns Committee is based on the Trust's experience of managing its own land and on such research as it has commissioned.

At the request of the Secretary to the Committee, the Trust has already provided copies of: the Savage Report; its two annexed reports, one by the University of Southampton and the other by the Royal Agricultural College; and the Bateson Report. However, in an effort to ensure all relevant information is gathered together, further copies are attached as Appendices I to IV.

Attached as Appendix V is a copy of the Trust's Field Sports Policy Statement. Occasionally, sporting rights are either retained by former owners of land or the rights may have been sold or leased to a third party. For example, at Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor, the hunting rights are not held by the Trust. Also see attached, as Appendix VI, the 'Statement on decision not to issue licences to hunt deer with hounds on Trust land in the West Country '.

FACTS ABOUT HUNTING WITH DOGS

Question 1—What factual information do you have about hunting with dogs, including the organisation of hunting activities and the way those activities are carried out?

In 1988 the Trust asked Sir John Quicke to review hunting practices on its land. Following his report, the Quicke Report, a copy of which is attached as Appendix VII, the Trust set up a system for controlling hunting by annual licence. A copy of the standard licence is attached as Appendix VIII.

During the 1998/99 season, the Trust issued l 67 licences for fox hunting (mounted), 10 for foot packs (fox), 35 for hare hunting and l for drag hunting. These licences covered an area of more than 100,000 hectares.

The Trust's 10 years' experience of permitting hunting by licences, granted afresh each season, is that they have generally worked satisfactorily. They have improved regular communication with hunt staff and have clarified responsibilities. On the few occasions when breaches of licences have occurred, they have nearly always been inadvertent and hunt staff have been quick to remedy the situation.

RURAL ECONOMY

Question 2—What evidence is there as to the importance or otherwise of hunting with dogs to the rural economy in general and/or to particular areas of England and Wales?

Please refer to the Savage Report and its supplementary report undertaken by the Royal Agricultural College, Economic and Social Aspects of Deer Hunting on Exmoor and the Quantocks

Question 3—What evidence is there about the likely impact on the rural economy if hunting with dogs was banned completely?

Deer
The Savage Report considers these matters and they are covered in detail in the supplementary report by the Royal Agricultural College, Economic and Social Aspects of Deer Hunting on Exmoor and the Quantocks.

Hunting generally
The Trust is also aware that another report has been produced by the Royal Agricultural College, based on research commissioned by West Somerset District Council. This report provides updated information on the subject.

The Trust's farm tenants often use the services of hunt kennels to dispose of dead livestock. If hunt kennels disappeared an alternative means of carcass-disposal would be required, involving additional cost to farmers.

Question 4 — To what extent could any detrimental consequences of a ban be offset by greater participation in drag or bloodhound hunting or other activities or by other measures?

5.

AGRICULTURE AND PEST CONTROL

Mink
Mink predate on other species. Where such species are considered to be important and under threat from mink predation, control of mink may be necessary.

Information is presented in the following reports:

1. The Savage Report
2. Supplementary research report by Southampton University Conservation and Management of Deer on Exmoor and the Quantocks
3. The Bateson Report
4. J Langbein 1997 The Ranging Behaviour, Habitat Use and Impact of Deer in Oak Woods and Heather Moors of Exmoor and the Quantock Hills. University of Southampton. A copy of the Executive Summary is attached as Appendix IX.

5.3.

Question 7—What evidence is there about the consequences for agriculture and pest control if hunting with dogs was banned completely?

See reply to Question 9 above.

7.

MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE

Question 11—What evidence is there about the present effect of hunting with dogs on preserving or damaging habitats and on the management and conservation of wildlife, including the quarry species

General
There are situations where hunting can have an unacceptable impact on rare wildlife and fragile habitats. In such situations the Trust either does not grant hunting licences or issues licences excluding certain areas. For example, in the High Peak, Derbyshire, hare hunting licences have not been issued by the Trust in places where surveys have shown hare populations are low.

We also draw the Committee's attention to the research carried out for the West Somerset District Council by the Royal Agricultural College. This reports on the extent to which the activities of hunts promote conservation.

• Bateson P & Bradshaw E L (1997) Physiological effects of hunting red deer (Cerrus elaphus) Proceedings of the Royal Society, B, 264, 1707 - 1714.
• Bradshaw E L & Bateson P (2000) Animal Welfare and Wildlife Conservation. In Behaviour and Conservation. (eds Gosling L M & Sutherland W J), pp330-348, Cambridge University Press.
• Bradshaw E L & Bateson P (2000) Welfare implications of culling red deer (Cervus elaphus) Animal Welfare, 9, 1 pp3-24.