Wild Justice is looking forward to the day when our successful e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting will be debated by backbenchers in Westminster Hall. Ours was one of very few e-petitions to have reached 100,000 signatures before the general election – in less than 20 full days in our case.
Everything was put on hold for weeks in the run-up to, during, and after the general election. Only last week was the Chair of Petitions Committee elected by MPs. The new chair is Catherine McKinnell MP, Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Labour).
Although Westminster Hall debates do not end in a vote, or a change in government policy, they do require a response from a minister (from DEFRA in this case) and allow the Shadow Minister to make points and backbenchers of all parties to air their views. It is an opportunity for an issue to be raised and put on the parliamentary record for ever.
Here is the link to the e-petition text. Thank you to 111,965 of us who signed it.
