Last month I wrote (here) about how the DEFRA Secretary of State, Therese Coffey, is preparing to make a decision about the phasing out of toxic lead ammunition by gamebird shooters; a welcome move after years and years of the Westminster Government ignoring the scientific evidence about the poisonous effects of toxic lead ammunition on wildlife, the environment and human health.
However, I also wrote how the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) was due to publish an opinion report for the Minister on 6th August 2023, along with establishing a 60-day public consultation on its findings, which HSE was legally obliged to report by 6 November 2023. But in August, HSE told stakeholders (shooters and conservation organisations) in confidence that publication had been delayed by ‘unforeseen clearance issues‘, which meant that the opinion report was no longer deliverable by 6th November 2023.
Green Party Peer Natalie Bennett read the blog piece and subsequently lodged a Parliamentary question about what, exactly, those ‘unforeseen clearance issues‘ were that were holding up the decision-making process:
On 27th September 2023, Viscount Younger of Leckie, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work & Pensions (Minister for Lords) responded with this:
So the delay was confirmed, but the Minister was unable/chose not to explain what the ‘unforeseen clearance issues‘ were and instead quite blatantly skirted around the question, which just makes me even more suspicious of what’s going on behind the scenes.
I’ve also since been told that HSE contacted the stakeholders again once this written answer had been published, to repeat the fact that ‘clearance issues‘ were the reason for the delay but didn’t elaborate about what those ‘clearance issues‘ were.
The delayed/revised delivery date has yet to be announced.
It’s worth remembering that the DEFRA Secretary of State (currently Therese Coffey) is legally required to make a decision on the phasing out of toxic lead ammunition within three months of receiving the opinion report from HSE.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Has Therese Coffey got any interest at all in, or knowledge of, the environment? I very much doubt it.
There is No doubt in my mind that if the toffs went in for coarse fishing lead would never have been banned in that “sport” either. This lot are so scared of upsetting the toffs who see no harm in spraying poisons all over the British countryside and cannot be happy unless they are carrying out their rituals of killing little birds/ animals with big guns and cannot even see this is cruel defective behaviour in this day and age is quite sad and at the same time sick to witness. Mankind has not come far since the sailor clubbed to death the last Dodo but at least he was killing for food and knew no better.
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“This lot” are “The Toffs”……. unfortunately.
Coarse fishing enthusiasts were responsible for a fraction of the lead used by commercial guns.They complied without a raised voice. This priveleged lot believe the world revolves around them.
Bring on the next election.
I suspect that when Therese Coffey finally makes a decision she’ll refer to the voluntary ‘phasing out’ of lead ammunition by shooters, we’re 2 or 3 years into the claimed phasing out of lead over 5 years. She’ll claim there’s no need to introduce legislation until it’s known if the voluntary approach has worked thus giving shooters several more years to carry on using lead, as most of them have chosen to do during the voluntary phase out.
Once the voluntary approach has been shown not to work the Tories, if they’re still in power, will announce a new consultation on banning lead which will last for a couple of years meaning the can will of been kicked 5 years down the road before they actually have to take action.
The environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, praised Sunak’s decision to roll back on net zero and told a lunch for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation she disagrees with the right to roam campaign – saying “the only things that have a right to roam are farmers, pigs and their cattle”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/04/tory-conference-chooses-culture-wars-over-coherent-policies-for-environment
I suspect that the masterplan here is to use any feasible means to defer a decision being reached on this issue before the anticipated general election. This way it would avoid the current lot risking upsetting their mates, albeit that, ultimately, a ban is inevitable. The fact that the voluntary restraint has so spectacularly failed is a prime indication of the warped priorities of these supposed guardians of the countryside.