Fox hunting laws inadequate
Two south of Scotland Labour MPs are calling for amendments to the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act claiming half of the Scotland's hunts are breaking the law.
They are speaking following a rally at the weekend organised by animal welfare charities the League Against Cruel Sports, OneKind and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) outside the Scottish Parliament.
South of Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth said: "The rally was a real demonstration of the strength of feeling about fox hunting in Scotland.
"Support for a proper ban on hunting – both from urban and rural areas is overwhelming.
"The whole integrity of the Parliament is open to question when it passes a law 16 years ago to ban hunting and that fails because of loopholes that it didn't spot at the time. If Parliament doesn't spend the very short amount of time needed to pass a law closing those loopholes, it has failed in its job to pass good legislation and properly implement the will of Parliament and the public."
Fellow South of Scotland MSP Claudia Beamish, Scottish Labour's Shadow Minister for Environment said: "Fox hunting is a cruel pursuit and the vast majority of the Scottish population is in favour of a continuing ban. However, we need to know that the current law is being properly enforced.
"The evidence presented by the League Against Cruel Sports is deeply concerning and it's important that these allegations are fully investigated by the Scottish Government."