Hunting issues provoke comments

Steps are already being put into effect to increase the attack on fishing and shooting.

I read in the national press a week or so ago that the League Against Cruel Sports was taking steps to amend the objects of its constitution to enable it to campaign against fishing and shooting.

No doubt other organisations will do the same. Also, I believe the Government proposes a Bill for "the Rights of Animals".

Should hunting with hounds be banned on the ground of cruelty (and surely it can only be on that ground real or perceived), surely logic says shooting and fishing must be banned for the reasons given by Charles Copland-Griffiths.

But would the politicians do it?

J E TODD,

Flexham Farm,

Rode.

I MUST respond to the misinformation in Mr Thomas' and Mr Davies' letters.

Initially, Mr Thomas sought evidence that the fox was a pest; in response he received it in abundance. Since then he has assumed that the sole justification for hunting is pest control.

Whilst this function is performed extremely effectively by hunts in certain situations, the mot obvious reason for the continuation of hunting is that thousands of people choose to participate in an activity which Lord Burns has confirmed does not lead to unnecessary cruelty.

Does anyone really believe that the late Johnny Morris or Dr David Bellamy would ally themselves to an activity which was cruel?

Given this conclusion, the moral decision to hunt is no different from eating meat, smoking (with the associated costs to the NHS) or driving powerful cars (with the associated environmental problems).

In each case these are matters of personal choice.

In his letter, Mr Davies erroneously claims the nation has voted to ban hunting, which is clearly untrue, as no referendum has ever been held.

In the most recent vote, the majority of parliamentarians voted in favour of the continuation of hunting under licence.

These votes correspond with the views of several senior members of the League Against Cruel Sports, including former chief executive Charles Course, who have concluded animal welfare will not be enhanced by a ban on hunting.

Finally, I agree with Mr Davies in saying that all country sports enthusiasts should think hard before failing to attend rallies this summer.

Given the existence of anti-fishing groups, such as Pisces, which is already active, it is obvious that if hunting is banned, fishing and shooting will be next.

IAA LANSDOWN,

(Name and address

supplied).

In the aftermath of the collapse of ITV Digital, and the consequent catastrophic consequences for many League football clubs, we read in our papers that Tony Blair's Government recognises the importance of the place these clubs have as a social focus for their local communities, and are making available millions of pounds to mitigate the disaster for the many players who will be out of work.

How differently they view the rural equivalent.

The Burns Report drew attention to the place of hunts as a social focus for their local rural communities.

But country people are expendable in New Labour's book so hunting can be banned, for short term political and social engineering reasons.

So much for Blair's 'One Nation' election pledge.

D Boyd,

Corton,

Warminster.

I am delighted that under the RSPCA's proposals to grant animals a 'bill of rights', my dogs will be allowed the 'freedom to express normal behaviour'.

As their normal behaviour is hunting, presumably they will be exempted, on cruelty grounds, from any legislation that could make this illegal?

Simon Hart

Director,

Countryside Alliance Campaign for Hunting

367 Kennington Road,

London,

SE11 4PT.