Each month the Countryside Alliance's political, media and campaigns teams across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales report to the board on work ongoing. Read on for the September update.
COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE POLITICS, MEDIA AND CAMPAIGNS UPDATE
ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND, IRELAND AND EUROPESeptember 2011
ENGLAND
WESTMINSTER
Scotland Bill
The Bill includes the devolution of control of airguns in line with the recommendation of the Calman Commission and as agreed in the Coalition Agreement. The Bill completed its Commons stages ahead of the summer recess and had its Second Reading in the House of Lords on 6 September. Peers were briefed ahead of the debate.
Firearms
We are still awaiting the Government’s response to the Home Affairs Select Committee recommendations.
Party Conferences
We will be attending all three main party conferences. The stand has been redesigned around our outdoor education campaign and will be interactive, providing delegates an opportunity to lobby their MPs and MPs the opportunity to register their support for our campaign.
Lobbying
The targeted lobby of new intake MPs is on-going. A regional based approach to MPs has been made in the Northern region with considerable success and a similar exercise will be carried out across the other CA regions.
Forestry
We responded to the Independent Panel Review on Forests on the future of Forestry Commission land, drawing particular attention to the issue of sporting rights.
CAMPAIGNS
Food Labelling
The campaign’s report “Honest, Fair, Simple” received good media attention and the European Parliament has now voted to extend mandatory country of origin labelling to all fresh meat products from chicken, sheep, goat and pig. However, mandatory country of origin labelling still does not cover all meat products, so we will continue to campaign for this. The report will be sent to all MPs and Peers in October and further parliamentary activity organised to raise the profile of the issue.
Fly-tipping
The Alliance released a report into the scale and cost of fly-tipping. To date this report has received a tremendous amount of media coverage.
BroadbandWe have formed a new partnership with 3 Mobile and are identifying areas that do not have wireless broadband, so that 3 Mobile can hand out free wireless broadband dongles and install wifi in pubs and community centres. The first place to be given dongles is Gringley-on-the-Hill and a total of 11 communities will be given free wireless in total. The launch of the project received very good media attention, with a write up on the BBC website and the Daily Telegraph.
Countryside Alliance AwardsThe seventh annual Countryside Alliance Awards opened to nominations in late August. This annual celebration of communities, produce and enterprise is extremely popular on every level, with grassroots members, the media, rural stakeholders and Parliamentarians all keen to get involved. Letters and nomination forms have been sent to previous nominees, councils and parliamentarians and nominations will be accepted until 21 October at www.countrysideallianceawards.org.uk. A new website has been designed for the Awards in line with the new
Magazine
The autumn magazine has now been published and improves upon the refreshed version of the magazine that was seen in the summer.
HUNTING
Crawley and Horsham Hunt
A preliminary hearing took place on 25 August in the case of Andrew Phillis formerly huntsman and now Master and Huntsman of the Dart Vale and South Pool Harriers, Jamie Hawksfield and Neill Millard, Joint-Masters, and Rachel Holdsworth, Secretary. The court adjourned the case without pleas for 4-5 weeks pending receipt of prosecution disclosure including the video evidence.
Heythrop
Julian Barnfield has been charged with two counts of illegal hunting on separate occasions. This is a private RSPCA prosecution.
SHOOTING
As a result of the mailing at the end of July, many requests for shoot badges have been received. A total of 420 badge orders have been received and badges sent out.
The Glorious Twelfth saw some good coverage in the press in the run up to the event. Most importantly, no anti shooting articles appeared in the national press.
Other issues this month have included a response to an article in the Evening Standard stating that school children in London were being denied tickets to Olympic shooting events. The story proved to be untrue.
David Taylor gave a short talk on the Shooting Campaign to many guns at the Rib Eye Shoot in Gloucestershire. The event was well attended with many teams shooting.
FISHING
Fisheries and the Standing Conference on Countryside SportsThe next meeting is being held on Thursday 3 November at 11.15 in the Farmers’ Club. On this occasion, the theme is "Fisheries, their conservation, exploitation and management" and promises to be a powerful meeting supported by the most influential personalities in the fisheries world in the UK.
MOORLANDS CAMPAIGN
The public relations material for the 12 August resulted in a mixture of coverage. At the request of Fieldsports Channel, filming of shooting, beaters and grouse was organised in advance. This enabled the video news release material to be sent by the Countryside Alliance to the National Press Association for distribution to all major national news networks. The film coverage was shown on Fieldsports Channel from the 10 August. A press release was also released on the 10 August.
It was arranged for Tom Stoddart, the leading photojournalist, to photograph driven grouse shooting on the 12 August for a photographic project called BRITONS that he is producing for the Olympics and Paralympics next summer. The exhibition will be in a prime outdoor London site and the photographs will document ordinary people and events that illustrate the rich diversity of the country, including driven grouse shooting in the North of England.
Briefing notes on the Government’s red tape challenge regarding environmental issues, and the launch of Defra’s ‘Biodiversity 2020: a strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services have been produced. A 1000 word article on the survey that is being carried out by researchers at the James Hunt Institute and the University of Stirling into the people's attitudes and preferences for different styles of grouse shooting has also been produced for Sporting Gun. The survey is being carried out at the request of, and part funded by, the RSPB.
GAME-TO-EAT
Retail Activity
Morrisons is taking pheasant for the first time this season, supplied by Yorkshire Game. We are in discussions with them about providing instore promotional support with a recipe card featuring one of the recipes from our new recipe booklet, running a competition on the Morrisons website. Activity is also progressing with Tesco, where we hope to be running an on pack promotion with Gressingham on pheasant. The supermarket scene looks exciting for game this season – even Iceland is reported to be planning to stock Pheasant en Croute!
Our annual trade newsletter has now gone out to 9,000 butchers and to 1,000 pubs with a further 3,000 pubs being sent information in the coming weeks.
Our programme of workshops in catering colleges is progressing well. Worcester, Lancashire and Cheltenham are all lined up between now and the end of November.
Finally, we have worked with Meat Trades Journal recently and achieved a really strong three page excellent article on game with good plugs for Game-to-Eat and the industry as a whole. We are hoping to line up a similar piece with The Grocer in the next couple of months.
WALES
The new leader of the Welsh Conservative Party, Andrew R T Davies AM, has been fully briefed by Rachel Evans.
A successful meeting was held between Rachel Evans and Labour AM for South Mid and West Wales, Rebecca Evans. She sits on the Environment and Sustainability Committee and is very keen to work with the Countryside Alliance and The Countryside Alliance Foundation.
The breeding of dogs legislation continues to make progress. The CA met Government officials to discuss the impact on workings dogs.
SCOTLAND
Legislative Programme
The proposed new legislative programme for the Scottish Parliament has been announced and will include further land reform, fisheries legislation and there is the ongoing issue of the Scotland Bill, currently in the House of Lords in Westminster. The SCA will be looking at the details of these proposals to assess potential impacts on the interests of members.
Scotland BillPrior to recess the Parliament’s Scotland Bill Committee issued a call for interested parties to submit written evidence. The SCA has submitted evidence with particular reference to the proposed devolution of firearms law with respect to airguns.
MSP Meetings
Over the recess the SCA met a number of politicians, particularly at shows and events, and also worked with Jim Hume, Lib Dem MSP for South of Scotland, on the topical issue of farming Vs forestry which resulted in an article for the SCA newsletter. The SCA Autumn newsletter to all MSPs has been sent.
Campaign for Shooting
The Autumn newsletter features details of the SCA Campaign for Shooting and is mailed to SCA members and previous shooting campaign donors.
SCA Awards
Working closely with colleagues in London we are rolling out the SCA Awards for nominations in September and October. All previous nominees and many new contacts, such community councils, have been contacted and we hope to attract a good spread of nominations across Scotland in the various categories.
Events
The SCA had a busy stand at the Highland Field Sports Fair at Moy, Inverness and at the Galloway Country Fair at Drumlanrig Castle. The SCA will also have a presence at the International Sheepdog Trials
The SCAET / World Pheasant Association “Black Grouse” clay pigeon shoot takes place on 23 September.
Planning is now well underway for the SCA Sporting Drinks Party to be held at Bonhams sale rooms in Edinburgh in early November and for an SCA Race Day at Musselburgh Racecourse in early 2012.
IRELAND
Northern Ireland
Wildlife and Natural Environment Act (NI)This was enacted on 17 August 2011. Within this Act is the provision which has banned hare coursing events.
Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011This Act became law on 12 July 2011. CAI are currently responding to the three consultations in relation to the proposed subordinate legislation in respect of the Welfare of Animals Act. We have been working closely with a number of people to ensure that not only will the subordinate legislation be in the best interests of animal welfare but also it will be workable and not detrimental or unnecessarily prohibitive towards the interests of the country sports community.
Dog Breeding Establishments Stakeholders MeetingCAI attended a meeting on 1 September, held by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to discuss the current Breeding Establishment Regulations and future Breeding Establishment Legislation and ascertain key stakeholders views. A full public consultation on the new Welfare of Animals (Dog Breeding Establishments) Regulations will be held later in the year.
SDLPPatsy McGlone, SDLP’s MLA in Mid Ulster, has put himself forward as a candidate to lead the party.
Ulster Angling Federation (UAF)The CEO met the Ulster Angling Federation’s Chairman and Development Officer. It was a very positive meeting and CAI and UAF will collaborate more closely on relevant respective consultations affecting members.
Lough Erne Wildfowlers Council (LEWC)CAI attended a meeting of the LEWC to show support for their warden initiative. The wardens will act as the ‘eyes and ears’ on Upper and Lower Lough Erne in the autumn and winter months and is one of the conditions of their lease agreement with DCAL.
Hunting Protocol, Northern IrelandFurther correspondence has taken place on the draft Protocol with the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU).
Republic of Ireland
The Dog Breeding Establishments ActThe Act has not yet been enacted by the Minister. Full enactment will take place following the passage of The Welfare of Greyhounds Bill 2011.
Lead Shot. We await the consultation on the protection of Wildfowl from lead shot. We have been in contact with the National Parks and Wildlife Service who have indicated that a full consultation will be issued during the autumn.
Large Wild Game Food Chain Information (FCI) DocumentThis is important information for all deer stalkers and DAFF registered game dealers in Ireland (ROI). With effect from 1 September 2011 these changes will make the sale and quality of venison to Game Dealers and other game handling establishments, more transparent, traceable and accountable, at the same time improving the reputation of wild venison as a high quality and healthy product.
Shows and Events CAI attended the Ballinlough Castle Country Fair and The Irish Game and Country Fair.
The Irish Red Grouse AssociationThe Irish Red Grouse Association involvement over the past 12 months on our current project sites has been an overwhelming success due in no small measure to our involvement in Heather Management and Conservation measures. Initial indications show an increase in Grouse numbers on our four sites up by 43.7%.
EUROPE
European Parliament AppointmentsThere have been some changes to the European Parliament’s Vice Presidents and Quaestors. UK MEPs Diana Wallis (Lib Dem), Edward Mcmillan Scott (Lib Dem and formerly Con) and Giles Chichester (Con) are Vice Presidents. Bill Newton-Dunn (Lib Dem and formerly Con) is a Quaestor. The Parliament's 14 Vice-Presidents and its President, taken together, form the Bureau, the body that lays down rules for Parliament. It draws up Parliament’s preliminary draft budget and decides all administrative, staff and organisational matters. The Quaestors are effectively observers in the Bureau.
Liability for Game DamageThe FACE Technical Affairs Legal Group has put together a compilation of national laws addressing liability for game damage. Tim Hoggarth holds a copy of this document if anyone should be interested to see the situation in both the UK and our European neighbours. | 
