Westminster continues to signal its support for British Game Assurance (BGA) as the way forward for sustainable shooting. Most recently, last Friday, Greg Smith MP stood in the House of Commons to congratulate BGA on its work to introduce game to the NHS.

Six NHS hospitals will be putting game on the menu, following years of collaboration with BGA. Mr Smith used his remarks to call for further investigation into how hospitals and even schools could make greater use of game, which he called “healthy, nutritious, flavoursome and sustainable.”

Mr Smith’s comments came precisely one week after Defra Minister Lord Benyon addressed the House of Lords on behalf of the Government, recommending that ‘every shooting interest should sign up’ to British Game Assurance.

Commenting on the BGA/NHS collaboration, Mr Smith told the House of Commons: “news of six NHS hospitals set to trial pheasant, partridge and venison on their menus is extremely welcome” and invited the House “to join me in congratulating British Game Assurance on helping make this possible.”

Liam Stokes, CEO of BGA said: “Calling on all shoots to sign up to BGA, and congratulating BGA on our work with the NHS, Westminster is sending our community a very clear message. We are very grateful to Greg Smith MP for his kind congratulations and for asking the House of Commons to think about British game as a healthy, tasty, sustainable food for the public sector and beyond. We look forward to talking to Mr Smith about how we can continue working to make that aspiration a reality.”