YOUR editorial comment on hunting claimed that 4,300 jobs would be lost as a result of any ban, as against 16,000 claimed by the pro-hunters.
The Countryside Alliance accepts the findings of the independent Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs, chaired by Lord Burns, who calculated some 6,000-8,000 full-time equivalent jobs would go in the event of a ban, considerably higher than the figure you quoted.
Moreover, Burns recognised that up to 14,000 jobs - many part-time - could suffer losses.
While there are comparatively few people directly employed by hunts, a hunt ban would impact significantly on those involved in the maintenance of hunting horses, as well as folk like hoteliers, who might profit from hunting people.
The refusal of Labour backbenchers to consider compensating hunts has revealed, yet again, their sheer vindictiveness towards what are, for the most part decent, hard-working rural people.
CLARE ROWSON,
Countryside Alliance Regional Director,
West Midlands.
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