2024 - what to expect from a shooting legislation point of view

Naturally, the majority of political talk in 2024 will be around the General Election expected to be held in the Autumn. However, there are also points of shooting legislation in England, Wales and Scotland, which will be covered this year, of which people with an interest in shooting should be keeping abreast. The Countryside Alliance is playing an active and defensive role in these legislative processes where we stand up for shooting when it comes under pressure. 

ENGLAND 

In England, the most pertinent items of legislation are those concerning the release of pheasant and red-legged partridge. After a tumultuous process in early 2023, where pheasant and red-legged partridge release inside / within 500m of  Special Protection Areas (SPAs) was removed from General Licence 43 (GL43), we are expecting a more timely and organised approach from Defra this year. It is expected that Defra’s approach to gamebird release will be confirmed before the end of February. One potential, welcome alteration to current legislation is that, where the SPA is considered suitable, gamebird release inside / within 500m of SPAs may be subject to SPA-specific general licences, instead of the current individual licensing requirement. 

For England and Wales, Defra will be finalising and publishing the results of their ‘post-implementation review’ of the temporary addition of pheasant and red-legged partridge to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which banned the release of those birds inside / within 500m of European sites (for conservation), unless under licence. This review must be published by 30 May.  

Beside gamebird release, firearms licensing legislation may change in 2024. It is hoped that the promised Home Office consultation on firearms licensing fees and the deregulation of sound moderators will happen in the early part of this year. The new fees will inevitably see an increase on current fees, but any increase is hoped to be proportionate and go with either a service level agreement, a longer licence period or both. 

WALES 

In Wales, the spectre of a blanket licensing scheme for gamebird release remains at the political fore, after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) recommended in November 2023 that the Welsh Government implement such a scheme for the 2025/26 season. Initially intended for the 2024/25 season, the delay to the 2025/26 was caused by the colossal number of responses to the NRW consultation, with over 12,900 Alliance supporters signing and completing our e-campaign. Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance said:  

“A massive response from the Welsh public has delayed the proposals, but the potential impact on the conservation, communities and the economy of rural Wales remain.  

This is a blatant, prejudiced and completely unjustified attack on the rural way of life. The government in Cardiff is increasingly at odds with the countryside and it is at risk of further alienating the rural community. Ministers need to think very carefully about whether they accept NRW’s advice. We will be working with partners from across the rural sector to pursue every possible avenue and we will fight back against this attack on the rural way of life.” Read more 

SCOTLAND 

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill is foremost in the legislative pressures on shooting in Scotland. Seen as a people-pleasing piece of legislation and good news story for the “Green-led SNP government”, as one MSP described it during its Stage 1 debate in Scottish Parliament, the Bill contains multiple elements including the licensing of anyone shooting grouse, licensing of heather burning (muirburn) and a review of trapping practices, including the banning of any form of snares including Humane Cable Restraints (HCRs) contrary to the evidence. These elements go far beyond what the original intention of Bill and will inevitably and seriously damage both rural communities and wildlife conservation efforts, to which grouse shooting, and shooting generally, contributes so heavily. Having passed Stage 1, this Bill is currently in Stage 2, where amendments can be proposed and then considered by MSPs. Read more 

As part of the Scottish Government’s 2023/24 Programme for Government, there is a commitment to “Consult on phasing out cages for gamebirds and laying hens”. This process is currently in its nascent stages and will be developing from here. Flawed terminology aside, there are several issues with this commitment from the outset, which will be covered as the year progresses. 

LEAD 

Following the socio-economic consultation on lead ammunition carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at the end of last year, we are expecting to see HSE’s final proposals on the restriction of lead ammunition for shotgun and rifle shooting. The timescale for these proposals is not known, and the process has so far been a slow one, but it is likely that the final proposals will be published at some point in 2024. Read the Alliance’s response to the socio-economic consultation here. 

As always, the Countryside Alliance will be fighting for shooting throughout all of these legislative processes. Please sign up to our Campaign for Shooting newsletter to stay up to date.