Natural England - Legislation
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Legislation
A large number of pieces of legislation affect wildlife management and licensing in England. This page provides an overview of the main legislation and where to obtain copies.
Please note that summaries of the legislation can oversimplify issues and lead to misinterpretation. Guidance in relation to specific issues can be obtained on our species pages. In all cases please refer to primary legislation and subsequent amendments and seek legal advice for definitive guidance.
The key source for online copies of UK legislation (post 1988) is from Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) - Acts of the UK Parliament. Legislation incorporating amendments can also be obtained from the UK Statute Law Database. (Important Note: not all amendments are incorporated in the copies of the legislation available from this site).
Some of the key Acts and amendments are detailed below, those not available online can be obtained as paper versions from TSO online bookshop or at larger public libraries:
- Agriculture Act 1947
- Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1972
- Agricultural Holdings Act 1986
- Animal Act 1972
- The Animal By-Products Order 1999
- Animal (Cruel Poisons) Act 1962
- Animal Health Act 1981
- Animal Welfare Act 2006
- The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010
- The Conservation of Seals Act 1970
- The Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999
- Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986
- The Control of Pesticides (Amendment) Regulations 1997
- The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994
- Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
- Deer Act 1991
- Regulatory Reform (Deer) (England and Wales) Order 2007
- Destructive Imported Animals Act 1932
- The Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999
- The Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985
- Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000
- Game Act 1831
- Ground Game Act 1880
- The Mink (Keeping) Regulations 1975
- The Mink Keeping (Prohibition) (England) Order 2004
- Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act 2006
- Pests Act 1954
- Pesticides (Fees and Enforcement) Act 1989
- Pesticides Act 1998
- Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949
- Protection of Badgers Act 1992
- The Small Ground Vermin Traps Order 1958
- The Spring Traps Approval Order 1995
- The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995
- Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985
- Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1991
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Amendment) Regulations 1995
- The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedules 5 and 8) Order 1998
- The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule 9) Order 1999
- Explanatory memorandum to Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (variation of Schedule 5) (England) Order 2008
