There has been significant speculation over recent developments about the Kept Animals Bill. Things have not been as depicted in some campaign correspondence and we are very happy to outline what changes have taken place.
You can find below a Dear Colleague letter sent from the Environment Secretary, Dr Therese Coffey MP, providing an update on the government’s efforts to improve animal welfare.
The minister has advised that the Kept Animals Bill, started nearly two years ago, was designed to implement several of the government’s ambitions to improve animal welfare. This included banning the live export of animals, seeking to prevent pet theft, and new measures to tackle livestock worrying. However, owing to the multi-issue nature of the Bill, there has been considerable scope-creep. This means that the Bill risks being extended far beyond the original commitments in the 2019 manifesto and the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.
Ms Coffey has confirmed that the bills and regulations the Government has already passed (Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act, cat microchipping, Ivory Act, Finn’s Law, Lucy’s Law) demonstrate that significant progress can be made with single-issue legislation. For this reason, the government will be taking forward measures in the Kept Animals Bill individually during the remainder of this Parliament. I wish to reassure you that ministers remain fully committed to delivering the manifesto commitments – and they believe this approach is now the surest and quickest way of doing so.
We hope this update reassures constituents of the Government’s ongoing commitment to taking forward the measures in the Kept Animals Bill individually and would encourage you to read the Environment Secretary’s letter in full.
