The Burns Inquiry (or Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales) was a Government committee set up to examine the facts in the debate in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

about hunting with hounds.

Establishment

In December 1999, the then

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Jack Straw John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946) is a British politician who served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two of the traditional Great Offices of State, as Home Secretary ...

MP, announced the establishment of a Government inquiry into hunting with dogs, to be chaired by the retired senior civil servant Lord Burns. Its terms of reference were: :"To inquire into: :*the practical aspects of different types of hunting with dogs and its impact on the rural economy, agriculture and pest control, the social and cultural life of the countryside, the management and conservation of wildlife, and animal welfare in particular areas of England and Wales; :*the consequences for these issues of any ban on hunting with dogs; and :*how any ban might be implemented. :To report the findings to the Secretary of State for the Home Department" The committee commissioned a range of

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

, undertook a series of visits to hunting events and held a number of evidence hearings. The committee did not seek "to address the ethical aspects of the subject".

Membership

Following consultation with Lord Burns,

MP appointed the following to membership of the committee: * Lord Burns * Dr Victoria Edwards OBE * Professor Sir John Marsh * Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior * Professor Michael Winter The

League Against Cruel Sports The League Against Cruel Sports, formerly known as the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports, is a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to stop blood sports such as fox hunting, hare and deer hunting; game bird shooting; and anim ...

criticised the appointment of several members with backgrounds related to hunting.

Conclusions

The committee's most reported conclusion was that hunting with dogs "seriously compromises" the welfare of the quarry species. In line with its remit, the committee did not, however, draw any conclusion on whether hunting should be banned or should continue. In a later debate in the House of Lords, the inquiry chairman, Lord Burns, also stated that "Naturally, people ask whether we were implying that hunting is cruel... The short answer to that question is no. There was not sufficient verifiable evidence or data safely to reach views about cruelty. It is a complex area." In a highly controversial subject area, the Burns Inquiry report was welcomed by both hunters and anti-hunting campaigners.

Consequences

Following the publication of the Burns Inquiry report, the Government introduced an 'options bill' which allowed each House of Parliament to choose between a ban, licensed hunting, and self-regulation. The

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

voted for a banning Bill and the

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for self-regulation. After further inquiries, the Government introduced a further Bill, which was amended to become the

Hunting Act 2004 The Hunting Act 2004 (c 37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales, subject to some strictly limited exemptions; the ...

References

External links