Assembly Member Angela Burns AM challenges Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Sayed over NRW shooting review and

In First Ministers questions on Tuesday the 12th of June, the League Against Cruel Sports proposed Bethan Sayed AM to accuse the Natural Resources Wales review team of bias and impartiality issues relating to the recent firearms review. In rebuttal and following discussions with Rachel Evans of the Countryside Alliance, Angela Burns AM raised the point with the First Minister that NRW had completed their evidence on solid evidence and fact, reviewed by an internal expert panel of over twenty members of staff with knowledge and expertise and that this should not be put in to reverse by an opinion poll.

The AM for Carmarthenshire West and South Pembrokeshire brought to his attention a recent animal rights petition where there are concerns about the authenticity and the geographical spread of those who have signed a petition to ban shooting on public land in Wales. Speaking in the chamber the AM said "having had the first part of this consultation so rigorously put in place by NRW, are we able to apply the same rigour to those who might petition us from outside of our country as to what we should be doing in our country, and on our land, and by our people?

In response to the AM's question the First Minister replied "I hear what she says. As far as we're concerned as Government, obviously NRW will be guided by its consultation and we are then guided by the views of NRW and, of course, looking at the consultation itself. So, the petition system is one thing, but it's not formally part, of course, of Government consultation."
NRW are due to meet with Welsh Government in the near future to discuss their conclusions.