Home / Sources / Select Committees / Environment, Food and Rural A… / Draft Animal Welfare Bill inquiry
Select committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Draft Animal Welfare Bill inquiry

Closed Opened 22 Dec 2017 Closed 23 Apr 2018

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee conducts a pre-legislative scrutiny on the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill and would be interested in your views on the Bill in general.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 22 December 2017.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 2nd Report - Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill on 1 February 2018.

The government's response

Published 23 April 2018.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it is committed to delivering both the sentencing and sentience measures "as soon as possible", and "will set out how we intend to take forward the measures" in the draft Bill "in due course".

  • On the impact assessment, the government says an assessment is only required where a policy adds or removes significant regulatory burdens on business, but it has produced a draft regulatory triage assessment on the sentience provisions, with a final version to be published "when the Bill is introduced".
  • On Clause 1 (sentience), it "notes" the Committee's concern, is "actively looking at drafting solutions" and is "carefully considering" the concerns over accountability mechanisms. It has also asked the Farm Animal Welfare Committee for advice on definitions and key concepts.
  • On extending higher sentences beyond the 2006 Act offences, the government considers a five-year maximum "disproportionate" for less serious offences such as neglect, because current sentencing practice does not suggest the six-month maximum "is too low".
  • On the Committee's recommendation to separate Clause 1 into a stand-alone Bill, the response "notes" the recommendation and says the government remains committed to delivering both sets of measures, without stating that it will separate them.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 1 oral evidence sessionLatest 17 January 2018
All evidence

Recent activity

Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

1 session

On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.

Date Session and witnesses Source
17 Jan 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗