PRESS RELEASE

9 January 2004

Ottaway to support anti-animal cruelty Bill

Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South, will be supporting a Bill to outlaw all suffering to all wild mammals in all circumstances. The Wild Mammals (Protection) (Amendment) Bill, was introduced on 7th January 2004 by Mid Worcestershire MP, Peter Luff, and Lembit Opik MP. It is supported by a cross-party group of MPs. It aims to broaden the animal-cruelty debate by addressing all methods of control that cause cruelty to mammals, rather than the narrow focus of the hunting debate.

Richard Ottaway says:-

"I feel strongly about animal suffering. Obviously there is no point banning one method of control, while other methods, that can causes as much - or more - suffering, remain legal.

"The anti-hunting lobby claims that hunting with dogs causes excessive suffering, compared to other control methods. This Bill will allow views on cruelty to be tested in the proper manner. It will also indicate how much confidence the anti-hunt groups have in their evidence that hunting causes excessive suffering."

Ends.
Note to Editors: The Wild Mammals (Protection) (Amendment) Bill mends the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act of 1996. It was introduced by Peter Luff and Lembit Opik and is supported by a cross-party group of MPs - Kate Hoey, Gwyneth Dunwoody, Barry Sheerman, Austin Mitchell, James Gray, Richard Ottaway, Andrew Mitchell, Paul Tyler, Roger Williams and Simon Thomas.

For further information please call 020 7219 6392.