17 December:
Andy Sawford (Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government); Corby, Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a consultation on a licensing scheme for commercial game shooting.
George Eustice (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Camborne and Redruth, Conservative): Landowners are free to run commercial shoots on their land, provided they are carried out appropriately and legally. We have no plans to introduce a licensing system for commercial shoots, or to consult on the matter.
Andy Sawford (Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government); Corby, Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will (a) discuss with her counterpart in the Scottish Government the effect of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 and (b) publish a consultation on vicarious liability for landowners who host commercial game shooting in England.
George Eustice (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Camborne and Redruth, Conservative):
The introduction of new legislation requires evidence that it will be effective. We are not yet aware of any successful prosecutions or of any compelling evidence that the introduction of the provisions of vicarious liability in Scotland has had a significant deterrent on those who commit wildlife crime.
We will continue to monitor the situation in Scotland and to consider whether this or a similar offence is necessary and proportionate to assist in tackling wildlife crime in England.
The coalition government has no plans to introduce licensing of shooting estates nor vicarious liability for wildlife crime. It is a spent force in dealing with the problems of wildlife crime.
I’m grateful to my MP, Andy Sawford, for asking these questions. They must have come out of our discussion over a cup of tea in Portcullis House after the Rally for Nature.
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They don’t really see shooting raptors as a crime. An Englishman’s home is his castle etc.
The government drives a coach and horses roughshod through the purpose and spirit of wildlife protection law. While DEFRA continues to do nothing under the guise of ‘monitoring’ and ‘considering’ Hen Harriers and other birds of prey continue to be illegally killed; suffering appalling cruelty as they are removed from our landscape. The government has reduced the law protecting our wildlife to a mockery.
“DEFRA continues to do nothing”
Since 2010 staff numbers at DEFRA have declined by ~22%. Whereas at DECC numbers have increased by ~37% – nearly 400 full-time posts. Clearly, closing down our power generating ability is far more important than … everything else.