Our CEO Tim Bonner on the grouse shooting...
Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Tim Bonner writes: On Monday MPs debated grouse shooting in...
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- Why is there a debate on driven grouse shooting?
An online petition on Parliament's website calling for driven grouse shooting to be banned has been signed by over 100,000 people. This is the threshold required for a petition to be considered by the House of Commons Petitions Committee for a debate, and most petitions that reach this threshold are debated.
This is the third time that a petition to ban driven grouse shooting has been created in the last two years and it has only been successful on the third time of asking as a result of a lot of funding, celebrity endorsements and a relentless campaign. The petition was promoted vigorously on social media, on street stalls, with leaflet drops and at music festivals.
The petition is deeply misleading about driven grouse shooting and a counter petition has been signed by thousands of people highlighting the benefits of grouse moor management.
- Will a debate take place?
The Petitions Committee have agreed to hold a debate in Westminster Hall on Monday 31 October at 4:30pm.
- What evidence will the Petitions Committee receive before the debate?
The Petitions Committee has established an inquiry into grouse shooting and has called for written evidence to be submitted from people who want to share their expertise on this subject. The Countryside Alliance's submission can be read here.
The Petitions Committee also arranged a 1 hour oral evidence session on Tuesday 18 October, whereby the Countryside Alliance was given the opportunity to give evidence to MPs and correct any fallacies created by those that believe the banning of grouse shooting will be of benefit to conservation and the rural economy. A press release following the evidence session can be read here.
The evidence session involving the Countryside Alliance's Liam Stokes can be re-watched here and the transcript can be found here.
- What is the Countryside Alliance doing about the inquiry and debate?
Although the inquiry and debate will not have any direct effect on existing legislation, it is an opportunity to register the benefits of grouse moor management on the parliamentary record.
The Countryside Alliance is working closely with MPs and coordinating work in Westminster with other shooting organisations to ensure that the Government and MPs are fully briefed on the enormous contribution which grouse shooting makes to the economy and management of our uplands. Earlier in the summer we prepared a parliamentary brief on 10 key questions about grouse shooting, available here, which was sent to MPs to dispel the misinformation being promoted by anti-shooting groups and individuals.
Working with the Shoot Liaison Committee, we have agreed the best ways of communicating the many ways in which grouse shooting boosts biodiversity and local economies, while countering the claims of those seeking to ban it. Each organisation will play a specific role in the campaign, utilising each group's contacts, specialisms and areas of expertise.
- What will happen next?
Following the inquiry, a debate on grouse shooting will take place in Westminster Hall, a secondary chamber of the House of Commons, on Monday 31 October at 4:30pm. Any MP will be able to attend and the Labour Party, as the Official Opposition, and the SNP, as the Third Party, will both have time allocated for their spokespeople to respond before the Government gives its response.
Westminster Hall debates are designed to raise the profile of issues but they do not form part of the law making process in Parliament. There will not be a vote at the end of the debate and no change in the law.
- What is the Countryside Alliance doing about driven grouse shooting more widely?
It is vitally important that we look past the activists driving this petition and speak directly to the majority of the British public who are reasonable, open-minded and generally adverse to the knee-jerk desire to ban or licence anything controversial.
We must speak widely and loudly about the benefits of grouse shooting, robustly challenge the propaganda being spread by anti-shooting activists and demand to know how the enormous investment shooting puts into conservation and the local economy would be replaced if a ban was implemented.
To this end the Countryside Alliance has been arranging shoot walks for local people, introducing them to gamekeepers and showing them first-hand the benefits of moorland management. We take the arguments for shooting to places like Countryfile Live, where the general public arrive looking to learn more about rural life. We attend all major party conferences and make sure our arguments are heard. We scrutinise the output of anti-shooting and animal rights organisations and inform politicians, government bodies and charity regulators every time we identify factual errors that could be construed as misleading. Finally, and most importantly, we play our part in the campaign to eradicate the crime against wildlife that motivates reasonable people to sign anti-shooting petitions.
What can I do to help?
We are now calling on everybody who supports grouse shooting to contact their MP. This can be done by contacting your MP directly, by entering your postcode here, and in your own words explain the importance of grouse shooting. This way you can tell your MP about your own experiences of grouse shooting. Maybe you are:
- A beater, gun or picker up who can talk about the sense of community and camaraderie you get from your involvement with grouse shooting;
- A local business owner, a publican, game dealer, gun shop owner or hotelier, whose business is boosted by grouse shooting;
- A member of the upland community, who understands how local schools, shops and services are supported by shooting's contribution to the economy;
- A walker, amateur naturalist or birdwatcher, who can talk about the biodiversity of your local moorland.
However you choose to express your support, it will be invaluable in telling the truth about grouse shooting and the good work it does in our uplands.
If you would like further information or receive a response from your MP then please get in contact with our Political Team on [email protected] or 0207 840 9260.
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