Editing Hunting Act 2004 (section)

== Proposed Coalition review ==
The [[Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement]], agreed by the new government following the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], aimed to give MPs a free vote "to express its view" on repealing the Hunting Act 2004<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8693832.stm |title=Policy-by-policy: The coalition government's plans  |date=21 May 2010 |publisher=BBC News | access-date=7 August 2020}}</ref> when parliamentary time allowed; in late 2010, it was thought this might be in "early 2012".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11692203 |title=No plans for hunting ban vote before 2012, MPs say |first=Andres |last=Sinclair |date=4 November 2010 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The prime minister, David Cameron, explained in January 2012 "I always thought the hunting ban was a pretty bizarre piece of legislation&nbsp;... I think there should be a free vote in the House of Commons. I think the Commons should make its mind up about this. My problem has always been that it was just taking the criminal law into an area of activity where it didn't really belong."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/hands-off-our-land/9013693/Cull-of-thousands-of-badgers-will-be-difficult-to-police-warns-David-Cameron.html|title=Cull of thousands of badgers will be 'difficult to police' warns David Cameron |first=Christopher |last=Hope |date=13 January 2012 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=7 August 2020}}</ref> However, in December 2012 [[Owen Paterson]], the [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Environment Secretary]], said that there was no immediate likelihood of winning a Commons vote to make hunting legal again and that supporters of hunting would need to do "more work" to win over sceptical MPs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/9765858/Hunting-ban-will-not-be-repealed-Tories-admit.html|title=Hunting ban will not be repealed, Tories admit|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] | location=London|first=James|last=Kirkup|date=26 December 2012 |access-date=7 August 2020}}</ref>