Ban driven grouse shooting
This petition gathered 104,341 signatures between 22 November 2024 and 22 May 2025, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 16 January 2025. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 30 June 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Ban driven grouse shooting
Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that driven grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife. People; we think grouse shooting is economically insignificant when contrasted with other real and potential uses of the UK’s extensive uplands.
Environment; muirburn contributes to climate breakdown and drainage leads to flooding and erosion. Wildlife; the wholesale extermination of predators has a disastrous impact on the ecology of these areas and the criminal practice of raptor persecution has taken place. We believe it's time to provide an opportunity to implement immediate and meaningful measures to address what we see as an abhorrently destructive practice so that recovery of moorlands can progress.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 16 January 2025; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as responsible. Its summary:
The Government has no plans to ban driven grouse shooting. It recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment.
The opening 331 words of the 414-word response:
This is a devolved matter. The Government appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of driven grouse shooting. The Government considers that well-managed shooting activities can bring benefits to the rural economy and can be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation. We will continue work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between shooting and conservation. The Government has no plans to ban grouse shooting.
It is of course vital that wildlife and habitats are protected and the law is respected by those involved in the grouse shooting industry. Wild birds of prey, for example, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There is evidence from Ewing et al (2023) and others to suggest a link between crimes against birds of prey and grouse shooting. The Government supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) – which helps prevent and detect crimes against wildlife by obtaining and disseminating intelligence and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations – and the Hen Harrier Task Force – which is led by the NWCU and aims to detect, deter, and disrupt offenders, in particular those persecuting rare hen harriers – by using technology and improving partnership working. Where wild birds of prey or any non-target species of wildlife are killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime. All forms of predator management to protect grouse must be undertaken within the law, including compliance with animal welfare legislation.
Grouse shooting takes place in upland areas, which are important for a range of things including, food, fibre, water regulation, carbon storage, biodiversity and recreational opportunities. UK uplands have 75 per cent of the world’s remaining heather moorland and about 13 per cent of the world’s blanket bog.
Upland catchments provide 70 per cent of the UK’s drinking water. The Government is committed to delivering positive environmental and economic benefits and creating a more sustainable future for the English uplands, including preserving and restoring peatlands.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Sheffield Hallam, with 8.7 signatures per 1,000 electors (635 in all).
103,404 of the signatures were from the UK and 937 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield Hallam | 635 | 72,900 | 8.7 |
| Derbyshire Dales | 617 | 73,324 | 8.4 |
| High Peak | 530 | 74,385 | 7.1 |
| Westmorland and Lonsdale | 468 | 72,029 | 6.5 |
| South Devon | 456 | 72,261 | 6.3 |
| Skipton and Ripon | 488 | 79,238 | 6.2 |
| Central Devon | 457 | 75,385 | 6.1 |
| Sheffield Central | 346 | 60,594 | 5.7 |
| West Dorset | 430 | 75,998 | 5.7 |
| Sheffield Heeley | 409 | 73,452 | 5.6 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 15,828 |
| South West | 14,128 |
| East of England | 10,679 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 10,337 |
| North West | 10,331 |
| Scotland | 8,823 |
| East Midlands | 8,117 |
| West Midlands | 7,368 |
| London | 6,680 |
| Wales | 5,211 |
| North East | 4,071 |
| Northern Ireland | 773 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 30 June 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700036.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
1df7e4bf2e14e4e9… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.