In which year did the ban on fox hunting in England and Wales come into effect? 2005.
The Hunting Act 2004 came into force on 18 February 2005. It prohibited hunting wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales, including traditional forms of fox hunting, subject to limited exemptions. The Act also banned hare coursing.
The date can be confusing because Parliament passed the legislation in 2004 and it received Royal Assent on 18 November that year. Those are not the same as commencement: the operative ban began several months later, in February 2005. Scotland had already legislated separately through the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002.
The law did not ban every activity involving hounds. Drag hunting, in which dogs follow an artificial scent, remains distinct, and some tightly defined forms of flushing or wildlife management are permitted. The Act has remained politically controversial, with opponents challenging it and supporters defending it as an animal-welfare measure. The quiz asks when the prohibition took effect, not when the Act was enacted.