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Written question asked by Connor Naismith (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. It was answered by Sarah Sackman (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Hunting: Convictions and Prosecutions

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions under the Hunting Act 2004 there have been in each of the last five years and whether he has considered changes to evidential thresholds for offences under the Hunting Act 2004.

Answer

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a wide variety of offences in the Outcomes by Offences data tool including offences under the Hunting Act 2004. Data related to the years 2021 – 2025 can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

In response to the second part of your question, this is a policy matter for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament. It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed, and it is for locally elected PCCs to hold their forces to account. This includes consideration of how the police tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike. The investigation and prosecution of all criminal offences, including consideration of whether an actual offence has been committed, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service who have comprehensive powers to take action under criminal law.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
5710
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Convictions Hunting Prosecutions
Legislation
Hunting Act 2004
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk