HSE requests extension to timeline on lead ammunition restrictions

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has requested that the timeline be extended for the final stage of its lead ammunition review in England, Wales and Scotland. 

The move comes following the HSE’s consultation last December on the socio-economic assessment of restriction proposals. More than 8,000 submissions were received, including at least 5,000 from BASC members via our website.

The HSE has submitted a request to the government for more time to sort through relevant information and evidence, before it can propose its recommendations to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A new timeline is being drawn up and will be published following consultation with policy leads, such as Defra and the Scottish and Welsh governments.

The HSE launched its initial consultation on proposals to restrict the outdoor use of lead ammunition in 2022. The six-month consultation received robust evidence-based challenges from BASC against many of the proposals, plus more than 2,000 responses from other interested parties.

Terry Behan, BASC’s East of England director, said: “Alongside the subsequent socio-economic assessment consultation, the HSE dropped plans to ban lead airgun pellets and conceded that target shooting with lead rifle ammunition should be allowed to continue at approved ranges. 

“However, it continued to press for restrictions on nearly every other outdoor recreational use of lead ammunition in England, Wales, and Scotland. BASC challenged each proposal, with robust evidence. Our response considered every shooting discipline, both live quarry and target. We will provide an update as soon as we have the revised timeline from the HSE.”

BASC remains committed to a voluntary transition away from lead shot and single-use plastics for live quarry shooting, which was announced by nine organisations in February 2020.