It was announced on Friday 23 May that a debate on Wild Justice’s petition to ban driven grouse shooting will take place in Westminster Hall on Monday 30 June. 

This is the third time a debate on this subject will take place in recent years, with the most recent being in June 2021.

It comes after the group’s petition reached over 100,000 signatories, making it eligible for a Westminster Hall debate. MPs from across the House of Commons will have the opportunity to speak either in favour or against the petition.

This will be the first time such a debate has taken place in this new parliament, which has a substantial majority of Labour MPs.

Adrian Blackmore, Director of Shooting at the Countryside Alliance said:

“We will be briefing political stakeholders with all the available science and evidence beforehand, taking advantage of the opportunity to reinforce the case for grouse shooting with all its associated benefits – just as we did in June 2021. On that occasion it was clearly shown there was no evidence to substantiate the sweeping claims that were being made by Wild Justice in their attempt to drive forward their anti-shooting agenda, and since then the evidence in support of grouse shooting and its associated integrated moorland management has only increased further”.

On 16 January 2025, the Government published its response to the petition after it reached 10,000 signatures. In that response the Government said that it has no plans to ban driven grouse shooting, and that it ‘recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment.’ It also considers well-managed shooting activities to be ‘beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation’, and that upland areas in which grouse shooting takes place ‘are important for a range of things including food, fibre, water regulation, carbon storage, biodiversity and recreational opportunities.’ 

At the time, the Countryside Alliance welcomed the response, stating: “It shows that unlike Wild Justice, the government has clearly taken note of the considerable amount of available evidence and science on grouse shooting, almost all of which is supportive of the practice and its enormous environmental, economic and social benefits. Benefits of which Wild Justice are either ignorant or blatantly choose to ignore”.