1. A new Secretary at DEFRA

2. Top of the shops

3. Picnic in the Park

1. A new Secretary at DEFRA

David Miliband MP's brief tenure as Environment Secretary has been ended by his promotion to the post of Foreign Secretary, a path previously trodden by his predecessor Margarget Beckett MP. New Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP has replaced him with Hilary Benn MP, previously International Development Secretary and a candidate for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party.

Mr. Benn has a reputation as a sensible and constructive politician who is willing to listen, but I have to say that some of his thinking, and his comments during the recent deputy leadership contest, do not sound hopeful from a Minister now in charge of 'rural affairs'.

He has been a vegetarian since his 20's on "moral grounds" and says it is "an outrage that David Cameron feels able to say that he would overturn the ban on hunting". I suppose this is no surprise from a candidate attempting to appeal to a Labour Party electorate, but more worryingly Mr. Benn says that the Hunting Act "sends an important signal about the standards we expect in society more broadly: about justice, respect for rights and decency".

This is the language of animal rights, not of animal welfare.

We will judge Hilary Benn on the job he does, rather than what he has said so far, but he has already set himself an uphill task.

The new Defra ministerial  team has yet to be announced and we will report further next week.

Simon Hart

2. Top of the shops

On Monday 2nd July, at the Royal Show in Warwickshire, home of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, we will be launching the third annual Best Rural Retailer competition, one of the biggest campaigning successes we have had in recent years and a testament to the humour, dedication and passion of rural Britain and its retailers.

Chief Executive Simon Hart will be joined at the launch by his fellow national judges; the Government's Rural Tsar, Dr Stuart Burgess, Farmers Weekly Deputy Editor Mike Stones and British Food Fortnight Director Alexia Robinson, as well as MPs of every political persuasion The calibre and breadth of support this competition has attracted shows that there is a real appetite across the UK for celebrating our retailers, and the cross-party nature of that support shows that community spirit appeals to every political colour.

The 2006 competition attracted over 2,000 nominations, reached over 18 million people through the media and buoyed many communities who were thrilled to find themselves in the spotlight, earmarked for praise. As well as bringing communities together in a common purpose, this vocal support of rural enterprise has also had another, more tangible, benefit. As our inaugural winner in 2005, Andrew Loftus of Weetons (who will also be at the launch) has had time to assess the benefits of the Best Rural Retailer competition and has estimated that takings and footfall through his shop increased dramatically as a result of his victory.

All you need to do to take part is to nominate in one or more of four categories (best local food, best village shop/ Post Office, best diversification and best traditional business), explaining what makes your retailer so special. You can nominate and read more about the rules on the dedicated website www.bestruralretailer.co.uk, as well as find out more about previous winners, all of whom we hope to meet again this year. You will also be able to nominate on Countryside Alliance stands across the country as the show season continues.

The Best Rural Retailer is good on all fronts - good for community morale, good for the rural economy, good for traditional skills and trailblazing enterprise alike. Please take part in this year's competition at and help us make it the best yet.

3. Picnic in the Park

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and The Countryside Alliance are delighted to invite you to a Picnic in the Park at Whithurst Park, Nr Kirdford, West Sussex.

Whithurst Park is a modern day castle as featured in the TV progamme "This Life". Come and enjoy your picnic or barbecue by the lakeside before dancing the night away to live music from the "Bum Notes" and "Terry Talbot's Disco".  Gates open at 4pm with a spectacular hot air balloon launch and the event will close with a firework finale. For those not wishing to bring a picnic a lamb spit roast supper can be booked in advance.

Tickets are £10 per person for groups of 10 or more, individual tickets at £15 each,
children under 5 FOC, children aged 5-14 £5 each

Spit roast supper available only if booked in advance at £10.00 per person.
Limited gazebo pitches available, only if booked in advance.

Spit roast rolls will be available from 7.30pm onwards - licensed bar facilities

Booking hotline:  01903 882741 or 01903 884179
Email:  sally@fieldofficer-se.fsnet.co.uk or michelle-nudds@countryside-alliance.org

1. The Right to Roam - good money after bad?

There has been more news this week from the Government on "Right to Roam". The focus has now shifted to opening up more of Britain's coastline with the Government committed to creating a 10m access 'corridor' around the English coastline.

The same cry for equal access to the countryside of Britain echoes through the debate and whilst the Countryside Alliance does not object to the suggestion on mere principle, it is important to consider the quantifiable benefits so far and the possible environmental costs.  

A report released this week says Defra and the former Countryside Agency failed to properly plan the roll-out of areas to which people would be granted access in the original legislation, doubling the projected costs of the exercise from £28m to £52.6m.  This in itself should be cause for concern, but it is coupled with the revelation that ministers have no idea how many people are taking advantage of the new rights.  

This lack of information has not stopped Environment Secretary David Miliband MP from announcing plans to extend the right to roam to the entire English coastline.  Perhaps before attempting such an ambitious project involving even more money than could surely be put to good use elsewhere, there should be proper investigation into the true benefits of the access that already exists. The countryside is for all to enjoy, but existing rights must be respected and adequate investigation must be completed to ensure the benefit really justifies the extensive cost.

David Miliband has been having quite a time of it recently, with coastal access being debated in the news the same week as the controversial topic of bovine TB. Whilst we are happy for the Government to take its time in planning and executing coastal access in order to get it right, time is not a luxury we can afford when it comes to bovine TB.  What is perfectly clear is that Government cannot keep prevaricating on this issue with no firm decision whilst farmers, and indeed badgers, continue to suffer from the effects of the disease.

Simon Hart 

2. Quantock appeal fund - please help

Following the conviction of the Huntsman Richard Down and Whipper-in Adrian Pillivant, the Quantock Staghounds have quite rightly decided to appeal, and the Countryside Alliance has launched an appeal fund in order to pursue this.

The Countryside Alliance and the Council of Hunting Associations have said that they will put up £20,000 towards the cost of any appeal, which could cost in the region of £30,000 to £40,000.

The Quantocks now occupy the frontline in the fight against the Hunting Act, and all donations to the appeal fund would be welcomed. Please send donations made payable to the "Countryside Alliance" and send to the Appeal Fund, Borough Farm, Holbeton, Plymouth, Devon, PL8 1JJ. Donations will be ring fenced.

3. Best Rural Retailer competition to get Royal launch

The Countryside Alliance will launch its third annual Best Rural Retailer competition at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire on 2nd July. Launching at the home of the Royal Agricultural Society of England will emphasise the links between rural communities and local food.

The Best Rural Retailer competition is a UK-wide Countryside Alliance initiative aimed at celebrating rural communities through their retailers, food, traditions and skills. The competition is nomination led and will open to nominations from 2nd July at www.bestruralretailer.co.uk . It will be possible to nominate online and on-stand at key shows over the summer, such as the Game Fair, the Great Yorkshire, Scotland's Countryside Festival and the Royal Welsh.

This competition has been a massive success for rural Britain as it is the only competition in the UK that is celebrating people and communities as well as produce and skills. Last year it reached over 18 million people through the media and we received over 2,000 votes, which is a tribute to the passion and loyalty people feel towards their retailers.

The Royal Show and Countryside Alliance are offering Alliance members a three-for-the-price-of-two ticket offer, saving £20 on gate prices.  Book online or call 0870 060 3782 and quote reference R23 (£1.25 booking fee applies for telephone bookings).  Offer closes on 25th June.

4. National Fishing Week

Having just run the first ever National Shooting Week, we are now encouraging participation in National Fishing Week, which will be held between 21-29 July. The initiative has been running for some years now and aims to encourage people who have either never fished, or who have not fished for many years, to have a go at a sport enjoyed by over 4million people across the UK. Visit the initiative's website to find out how.

1. Hunting Act confusion continues

2. Vote in the Farmers Weekly Farm Champion poll

3. Sustainable Communities Bill needs your help

4. 'Making the most of your game' leaflet updated

5. Fallen Stock petition

1. Hunting Act confusion continues

Confusion over the Hunting Act has increased after the huntsman and whipper-in of the Quantocks Staghounds were today found guilty of illegal hunting in the second case brought against a hunt.

Richard Down and Adrian Pillivant, along with many other members of the Quantock Staghounds, gave evidence that they had been flushing deer to concealed guns on 16th February 2006, as they thought the law allowed. Six deer were shot dead. But the district judge found that their hunting was not 'exempt', and that their belief that their hunting was exempt was not 'reasonable'.

Since the Hunting Act came into force the Quantock Staghounds have acted entirely responsibly. They consulted legal experts, the hunting authorities and the police. This judgement contrasts with all their interpretations of the Act.

On the day in question they hunted with two hounds, as stipulated by the Act, and ensured that there were experienced guns in place to shoot the deer they flushed as soon as possible. They shot six deer. If this is not flushing to guns I don't know what is.

In his evidence Professor Patrick Bateson of Cambridge University described the law as "imprecise". If it is not clear to him what the law means then it is ridiculous to suggest that hunts should understand it in exactly the same way as the courts.

In the end there is one simple solution to this mess which will end all the confusion, and the waste of police and court resources. The Hunting Act is a bad law and needs to be got rid of.

The Quantock Staghounds are consulting their legal team and are likely to appeal this judgement. The Countryside Alliance and the Council of Hunting Associations have said that they will pay each man's fine of £500 and £1000 costs, and will also underwrite the cost of any appeal.

The Quantocks remain the frontline of the fight against the Hunting Act, and all donations to the appeal fund would be welcomed. Please send donations to the Appeal Fund c/o the Countryside Alliance at the Old Town Hall, 367 Kennington Road, London SE11 4PT.

Simon Hart

2. Vote in the Farmers Weekly Farm Champion poll

The Countryside Alliance's Chief Executive, Simon Hart, has been nominated in the Farmers Weekly awards in the category of Farming Champion of 2007. One of his nominations, it has been reported, praises the Alliance's "promotion and defence of farming, its heritage and its future". You can nominate on the Farmers Weekly Awards website here.

Nominations are wide open and it is clearly the quality of your nomination rather than the quantity received that count, so make your nomination as passionate as you can. If you want to support our local food producers, see red tape cut, enterprise encouraged and traditional skills valued, then you are in favour of all the things the Countryside Alliance is campaigning for, so lend your support to Simon.

Other potential champions so far include Alexia Robinson of British Food Fortnight, Caroline Drummond of LEAF, Ian Beecher Jones of Taking Tractors to Schools and David Handley of Farmers for Action. The winner will be announced at the awards dinner at the end of October.

3. Sustainable Communities Bill needs your help

The Sustainable Communities Bill has now completed Committee Stage after months of negotiations. There is now only one hurdle left - 'Report /Third Reading Stage', which will be on the 15th June - before the Bill clears the House of Commons. But there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure the Bill becomes law.

During Committee, Communities Minister Phil Woolas MP gave several assurances that the government supported the Bill and stated to the committee it would not try and block its progress or attempt to 'water it down'. However, there is a danger that civil servants may try to influence the Minister.

Further pressure from supporters is urgently needed to convince the government to stand firm. Therefore we are asking you to write to your MP asking them to contact Communities Minister Phil Woolas MP and urge him to stay true to his word and support the Bill. Click here for more on this.

4. 'Making the most of your game leaflet' updated

The Countryside Alliance's Game-to-Eat Campaign has updated its "Making the most of your game" leaflet to help increase still further the massive growth in the game market and its soaring popularity.

Sales have grown 58% since Game-to-Eat started in 2002 and now command annual sales of £57 million*.  Research has confirmed that the amount of game sold through supermarkets has increased 133% since 2002. Game-to-Eat aims to support and promote game from the grass roots level, and this leaflet provides help and advice in order to help shoots and game dealers make the most of game's popularity.

The leaflet provides information under the headings 'At the shoot', 'Storing game', 'Selling game', 'Hygiene training', 'Processing game' and general Game-to-eat information and an action list.

Recent sales figures are good news for the game industry and the rural economy, and shoots and estates are responding to the challenge of increased demand.

This updated leaflet explains the regulations, how to transport, refrigerate and sell your game, and is a resource that should be kept handy by everyone involved in the industry.

Notes..

·    *Mintel Market Intelligence 2007
·    The leaflet is available from Game-to-Eat on 0207 840 9200
·    Click here to download the leaflet or email info@countryside-alliance.org with your address. Please indicate how many copies you would like.

5. Fallen Stock petition

You may be aware that the rate of government funding for fallen stock collections under the National Fallen Stock Scheme (NFSS) has been reduced to 10% from 1st June 2007 but will increase again for Spring 2008 to reflect the peak periods of usage.  This is because there is a diminishing amount of support remaining for farmers until November 2008 which is when government funding is due to come to an end.  

An e-petition has been started on the Downing Street website to lobby for the continuation of government support for NFSS beyond November 2008 and you can show your support by signing the e-petition. The petition is open until 5th August.