Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Hares

13 October 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Ruth Jones Lab Constituency

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Ruth Jones raised concerns about hares in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Ruth Jones moved a Bill to establish a close season from February to September for brown hares.
  • She highlighted the decline in brown hare populations from 4 million in the late 19th century to fewer than 600,000 in 2022.
  • Ruth Jones proposed protections for mountain hares similar to those for brown hares.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Ruth Jones Lab Constituency

Ruth Jones moved a Bill to establish a close season, from the start of February to the end of September, during which the killing or taking of brown hares is prohibited; to protect mountain hares; to repeal the seasonal prohibition on the sale of hares in the Hares Preservation Act 1892; and for connected purposes. She paid tribute to Baroness Helic's work and highlighted the decline in brown hare populations from 4 million in the late 19th century to fewer than 600,000 in 2022. She emphasised the need for a statutory close season to protect hares and proposed similar protections for mountain hares, suggesting that such measures align with the Labour Government's commitment to animal welfare and ecological restoration.

Other contributors (1)
  • Nusrat Ghani Con Wealden

    Nusrat Ghani, a Conservative MP, briefly addressed the House to inform that the Foreign Office statement was received on time and suggested passing this information to the relevant minister.

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