Hi,
Rather than starting a thread for each interesting CA story that crops up, I thought I would try using a single thread, this one. The recent bulletin is not directly related to spearing but the apparent thrust towards removing red tape & the (lack of) rural funding issues are perhaps of interest to some.
Rather than starting a thread for each interesting CA story that crops up, I thought I would try using a single thread, this one. The recent bulletin is not directly related to spearing but the apparent thrust towards removing red tape & the (lack of) rural funding issues are perhaps of interest to some.
"1. New game laws
At the beginning of the new partridge and wildfowling seasons shooting is also on the Government’s mind. The Alliance is in the process of responding to the DEFRA consultation on ‘Changes to Game Licensing and Game Management’. It has long been accepted within the shooting community that the 1831 Game Act and the legislation associated with it are outdated and no longer relevant.
The Alliance supports all the Government’s proposals in principle, but there are three main areas which we would especially urge members to support:
- Abolition of the game licence
The game licence was introduced in the 19th century to stop the 'peasants poaching the gentry's pheasants'. It is now irrelevant because in 2006, more than a half-million men and women from a wide cross-section of society take part in game shooting. The game licence also costs more to administer than it raises.
- To allow the sale of game all year-round
Countless millions enjoy eating of the end product of a day’s shooting, but the existing legislation pre-dates fridge freezers. Sales of game have increased by 15% since start of Countryside Alliance's game-to-eat campaign and the new law will allow game such as pheasants and partridges to be sold throughout the year enabling many more people to enjoy one of the most healthy, free-range meats available.
- Abolition of licence to deal in game (game dealers licence)
The abolition of the game dealers licence removes an unnecessary layer of red tape. New food hygiene regulations for those supplying game are of an extremely high standard rendering the dealer licence irrelevant.
The Alliance’s full response will be available on the website as soon as it has been submitted. In the meantime you can access the consultation on DEFRA’s website and respond in your own words, no later than 20th October.
2. Punished for your postcode?
New research has found that rural councils receive less funding to provide services that cost more than their urban counterparts. A report, published by the rural council coalition SPARSE, looked at three rural authorities and found that sparsity, population dispersal and settlement patterns made it more expensive to provide services such as education, domiciliary care and refuse collection. This also leads to higher council tax bills for rural households. Rural people are being punished for their postcodes.
The decline of public services and pockets of poverty in rural Britain are often hidden by the fact that the countryside is beautiful and a place of escape for many millions of visitors. The current funding system is failing low-income rural families and this new report makes reform ever more urgent. We look forward to seeing this issue addressed in the Government’s forthcoming White Paper on local government reform."
At the beginning of the new partridge and wildfowling seasons shooting is also on the Government’s mind. The Alliance is in the process of responding to the DEFRA consultation on ‘Changes to Game Licensing and Game Management’. It has long been accepted within the shooting community that the 1831 Game Act and the legislation associated with it are outdated and no longer relevant.
The Alliance supports all the Government’s proposals in principle, but there are three main areas which we would especially urge members to support:
- Abolition of the game licence
The game licence was introduced in the 19th century to stop the 'peasants poaching the gentry's pheasants'. It is now irrelevant because in 2006, more than a half-million men and women from a wide cross-section of society take part in game shooting. The game licence also costs more to administer than it raises.
- To allow the sale of game all year-round
Countless millions enjoy eating of the end product of a day’s shooting, but the existing legislation pre-dates fridge freezers. Sales of game have increased by 15% since start of Countryside Alliance's game-to-eat campaign and the new law will allow game such as pheasants and partridges to be sold throughout the year enabling many more people to enjoy one of the most healthy, free-range meats available.
- Abolition of licence to deal in game (game dealers licence)
The abolition of the game dealers licence removes an unnecessary layer of red tape. New food hygiene regulations for those supplying game are of an extremely high standard rendering the dealer licence irrelevant.
The Alliance’s full response will be available on the website as soon as it has been submitted. In the meantime you can access the consultation on DEFRA’s website and respond in your own words, no later than 20th October.
2. Punished for your postcode?
New research has found that rural councils receive less funding to provide services that cost more than their urban counterparts. A report, published by the rural council coalition SPARSE, looked at three rural authorities and found that sparsity, population dispersal and settlement patterns made it more expensive to provide services such as education, domiciliary care and refuse collection. This also leads to higher council tax bills for rural households. Rural people are being punished for their postcodes.
The decline of public services and pockets of poverty in rural Britain are often hidden by the fact that the countryside is beautiful and a place of escape for many millions of visitors. The current funding system is failing low-income rural families and this new report makes reform ever more urgent. We look forward to seeing this issue addressed in the Government’s forthcoming White Paper on local government reform."