§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department is carrying out or evaluating on the effect of the use of toxic substances in shot. [117523]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is not currently carrying out or evaluating any research specifically on the effects of the use of toxic substances in shot. However, from 1993 to 1996, the Department part-funded the development by University College, London of a ballistics testing facility, in order to assist the evaluation of non-toxic shot and provide the shooting community with guidelines for judging alternative shot types. In addition, the Department also funded Cranfield University to design a comprehensive computerised predictive model of the effectiveness of differing shot types against wildfowl; this work was completed in 1998.