Rural affairs minister Alun Michael has suggested that children should take up the fieldsport of shooting.

"Shooting teaches children discipline because people undertake it with great care," he is reported to have said at a game fair by the Country Land and Business Association.

He was responding to a survey in which 77 per cent of respondents claimed they would prefer children to take up shooting than play video games.

Forum Response: Country Land and Business Association

Sir Edward Greenwell, president of the CLA, told ePolitix.com: "Some of the very best land management in the UK, providing huge biodiversity and conservation management, is wholly supported by shooting. Shooting is important to the rural economy, providing jobs and incomes in some of the less accessible areas. Five years ago, the value was estimated at £720 million per annum. Including significant foreign earnings. It is certainly much greater now.

"The CLA supports self regulation of shooting, under the Code of Good Shooting Practice. This comprehensive code promotes humane treatment and sets high standards for the rearing and shooting of game birds, as well as environmental land management. CLA strongly recommends this to its members. There are many other organisations which have signed up to the code - together we are committed to ensuring that self regulation for shooting is robust and effective.

"We are delighted that Alun Michael has demonstrated a personal commitment to the sport."

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Nigel Davenport, director of the Countryside Alliance's Campaign for Shooting, told ePolitix.com: "We are encouraged by the minister's clear support for all kinds of shooting. We feel that shooting provides an environment where a young person can learn self discipline in a safe environment and at the same time, that they have to be responsible for their actions".

Forum Response: Game Conservancy Trust

Dr Nick Sotherton, director of research at The Game Conservancy Trust, told ePolitix.com: "Our demonstration farm at Loddington has shown how innovative game management practices developed by the Trust for pheasants can help many other birds and wildlife too. Why was it left to a small minority group specialising in gamebird ecology to work out the best of conserving farmland wildlife?"