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Gun Sports: Rural Areas

Asked by Mr Lee DillonLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 6 January 2026UIN 101663

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recreational shooting on the economies of rural areas.

Answered by Dame Angela Eagle

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are important to our economy, contributing over £259 billion a year to England alone.

Defra has not made a formal assessment on contribution of recreational shooting to the rural economy; however, we know the rural economy is diverse with 86% of rural businesses unrelated to agriculture, forestry or fishing.

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