00:00Trail hunting is set to be banned in England and Wales as part of the government's strategy to improve animal welfare.
00:07Ministers argue the practice where horse riders and dogs follow an artificial scent is used to cover up the illegal chasing of foxes.
00:15It's already banned in Scotland.
00:17Well, let's hear from our political correspondent, Harry Farley, about this.
00:22Why are they doing this now, Harry?
00:23Well, it was something they promised to do in their manifesto, and those with slightly longer political memories will recall the fights that the last Labour government had to ban fox hunting in the early 2000s.
00:35Trail hunting sort of emerged from that, and it's where essentially a rag with animal scent on it is dragged across the countryside.
00:43And then what looks like a fox hunt, so people on horseback with dogs chase that.
00:48And what government sources are saying is that they think that illegal fox hunting has emerged from that.
00:55It is prolific, and that trail hunting is used as sort of a smokescreen to cover for that.
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