Schedule 22: Removal of consultation requirements Pests Act 1954: designation of rabbit clearance areas
848.Paragraph 2 disapplies the consultation requirement contained in section 1(11)(a) of the Pests Act 1954 in relation to England. Section 1 of the Act permits the Secretary of State to make rabbit clearance orders (“RCOs”), which designate areas in which occupiers are then obliged to take steps to keep their land free of wild rabbits or, where this is not practicable, to prevent damage caused by them. Section 1(11)(a) currently provides that, before making an RCO, the Secretary of State must (unless compliance would be unreasonable in the circumstances) consult such persons as appear to him to be representative of interests of farmers, agricultural land owners, and agricultural workers, and of any forestry interests in the area.
849.Section 1 of the 1954 Act forms part of the law of England and Wales and Scotland. The amendment affects England only. It comes into force at the end of the period of 2 months beginning with the day on which the Act is passed.