I will vote against any attempt by the Government to weaken or repeal the Hunting Act. I believe that hunting is a cruel and unnecessary support, and fully support the ban which has been in place since 2004.

The Conservatives have suggested a number of times that they will seek to overturn the hunting ban, or amend it so that it no longer functions effectively. For example, the suggestion of amending the Act to increase the number of dogs allowed to flush out wild animals would, to all intents and purposes, legalise hunting once again.

There is clear support among the public for continuing the ban. Sadly this continues to be an obsession of certain members of the Conservative Party when the issue has been settled in the country for some time.

There is no credible evidence that fox numbers have increased since the ban. I am in favour of sensible and proportional wildlife management but it has been clear for some time that hunting is unnecessary. That is why I will continue to support the ban.