2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:47 pm on 16 January 2018.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:47, 16 January 2018

Well, thank you very much for raising both of those very important points. The Member will be very aware that the Hunting Act is not a devolved matter, and the enforcement of it is a matter for the police. However, I completely concur with her that the vast majority of people find foxhunting both abhorrent and extremely cruel. We do hope the UK Government will take account of that in its enforcement. But I think the correct course of action is to ensure that the local police commissioner makes sure that it's a top priority for the police force in enforcing the current Act, and I'd be more than happy to facilitate the Member speaking to the Cabinet Secretary about engagement with the police commissioners on that important point.

In terms of the contaminated blood matter, my understanding is that the chair is not yet appointed. The Cabinet Secretary will reaffirm his expectations for the inquiry to the chair as soon as that chair is appointed. I'm sure that the Cabinet Secretary, if the chair isn't appointed in the very near future, will be making his displeasure about the tardiness of that appointment very plain indeed.