Today the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee published its report, ‘Pre Legislative Scrutiny of the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill.’

The Committee has commented on the draft Bill before its introduction to Parliament and alongside a public consultation which closed on 31 January. The Committee recommends that the Government introduces a “separate piece of legislation on animal sentience’ which allows the ‘problematic concepts in the existing Clause 1 to be better defined”.

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Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said: “It is important that the Government considers the full implications of a bill before publishing it. It has failed to do so in this case. The Bill has been rushed and the legislation has suffered as a result. 

“The UK urgently needs a new law focused on animal sentience but this law must be properly thought through and worked out. This legislation is not that”.

Countryside Alliance’s Chief Executive Tim Bonner commented: “We agree with the EFRA Committee that this Bill is the wrong way of addressing the right issues. If it were passed in its current form every crank with a few thousand pounds to spare would have the ability to drag the Government through the courts, requiring Ministers to prove that they have given enough consideration to animal welfare. The draft Bill would also provide a vehicle for campaigners to pursue practically every item on the animal rights agenda.

“The Government will attract broad support if it brings forward logical provisions to increase sentences for serious acts of animal cruelty, and to ensure proper consideration of animal welfare in policy development. What is quite clear, however, is that there is virtually no support for addressing these issues by means of this draft Bill.”

RSPCA Head of of Public Affairs David Bowles, welcomed the report saying:

“The RSPCA recommended that Clause 1 of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill relating to animal sentience was separated from a Bill to introduce tougher sentencing to prevent delay and confusion. We are pleased that the Committee agree with us and have called for two separate pieces of legislation. However in a crowded legislative environment, the sentience legislation must be progressed before Brexit in March 2019.

“The Committee has also called for the new Bill on sentience to better define what it means …. the report has also echoed our calls for clarity on how ministers will be held to account. We welcome this report and urge the Government to consider and implement its recommendations swiftly.

“We welcomed the Government's commitment to increase sentencing for the most serious offences of cruelty and animal fighting. We agree with the Committee that this should be further extended beyond the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and we would like to see sentences increased for offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. We would also like to see sentences reviewed for some breaches of the regulations on Welfare of Farmed Animals.”  

Defra have said that they:” ..are very grateful to the EFRA committee for their scrutiny of the draft animal welfare bill and are pleased they support the principles behind it.We will carefully consider their recommendations as we take legislation forward and will formally respond in due course.

“We will ensure the UK is a world leader in animal welfare, including by increasing sentences for animal cruelty and recognising animal sentience in law”.