Early Day Motions are used to highlight issues. Well done to Caroline Lucas and her four cosignatories for raising the issue of lead ammunition in this way.
The text of their EDM is as follows:
That this House notes that even low levels of lead are toxic to humans and other animals and that in the UK, lead was banned from use in petrol, paint and water pipes decades ago, with most other uses strictly controlled; further notes that lead ammunition (gunshot and bullets) remains a glaring and largely unregulated exception; expresses concern that at least 5000 tonnes of lead ammunition is deposited into the UK environment annually, accumulating a toxic legacy and causing suffering and death to large numbers of birds; is alarmed that in England, even the limited restrictions from 1999 banning certain uses of lead gunshot are largely ignored; is deeply concerned that an estimated 50,000 – 100,000 wildfowl die of lead poisoning each winter in the UK; firmly believes that individuals, NGOs and statutory agencies that manage land must ensure that any shooting that takes place on their land uses non-toxic ammunition; and calls on the Government to put the UK on the front foot by introducing a ban on the sale, possession and use of all lead ammunition across the UK.
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/52444/ban-on-the-sale-possession-and-use-of-lead-ammunition
I’ll be writing to my MP to ask him to sign this EDM – I doubt he will, but there’s no harm in asking.
You could ask your MP to sign too – why not? Don’t bother if your MP is a minister, whip or PPS as they do not normally sign EDMs. Nor do the Speaker or Deputy Speakers. But that leaves hundreds of MPs who shou.ld be asked to sign and made aware of the issue.
I’ll keep you informed of the progress of the amassing of signatures as time passes.
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Although my MP is a PPS I’m going to email him anyway (saying I realise he can’t sign) to ask his views on this. It’s a shooting constituency so he will have lots of shooting pals. The shooters I know are all in favour of banning lead shot. I shall also make it clear that I have stopped eating game (except occasional venison) just because of the lead issue.
I believe shadow ministers also do not usually sign EDMs. If your MP is in one of the categories that do not sign EDMs though I think it is nevertheless still worthwhile writing to them about this one. They won’t sign it but it it is still a useful opportunity to remind them about this issue and make them aware of the concerns of their constituents about lead ammunition.
You might be interested to read the abstract of a paper hot off the press in Biological Conservation “Regulation of lead fishing weights results in mute swan population recovery” at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320718311030?dgcid=raven_sd_via_email
The title is self explanatory.
You might also share this EDM with Waitrose.
Where incidentally in their local store this morning they had several partridges in the reduced section. I idly turned them over to read the health advice only to find it covered by the reduced sticker on all three partridges. Not only misleading advice then but also not available to read! You couldn’t make it up.
These calls to write to my MP. I will, but not only do I not expect an answer, but he is not, I believe, the sort of person to sign such an EDM.
Perhaps that will make the exercise worthwhile then.
As well as supporting such a worthwhile cause from the signatory MPs. It’s a great idea.
I also emailed my MP and received a reply today and thankfully he has signed.
At this time the only Conservative to sign.