Welsh Government confirms opposition to blood sports funding

The Welsh Government withdrew eligibility for Economic Resilience Fund support from shooting businesses for being “related to blood sports” last month. The Welsh Government’s £500 million Economic Resilience Fund was established to support businesses in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The decision to refuse to support shooting related businesses has predicably come under fire from British Association for Shooting and Conservation. They state that the Welsh Government has a “complete lack of understanding” of the importance of shooting to the Welsh economy.

However, the Welsh Government has held the line in its anti-blood sports stance. Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has pointed out :"As part of the eligibility criteria for the Economic Resilience Fund, it states that the following activities are not eligible for funding: (1) party political purposes; (2) the promotion of particular secular, religious or political views; (3) gambling; (4) pornography; (5) offering sexual services; (6) any kind of illegal activities; or (7) any kind of activity which in our opinion could bring the Welsh Government into disrepute". He goes on to point point out that category (7) makes it clear that the Welsh Government does not support activity which may lead to animal cruelty as a pleasure activity.