The Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans in a generation to improve animal welfare, and that is exactly what we are currently undertaking.
In July, I attended a session hosted by Cruelty Free International in Parliament. I’m delighted that the Government is working towards phasing out animal testing altogether, and Cruelty Free International support this goal and were providing further information.
I’m also proud to have supported the Animal Welfare (Imports of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill alongside the Government. The Bill will cover England, Scotland and Wales and will ban the import of dogs and cats that are heavily pregnant, that are below the age of 6 months and those that have illegal mutilations. This will make it more difficult for low-welfare breeders to import or smuggle puppies and kittens for sale. This Bill has now passed its Third Reading and will now move to the House of Lords before being passed into law.
Further to this, the Government has promised to improve animal welfare across the board, in the biggest uplift in a generation. I’m pleased that we are dedicated to bringing an end to trail hunting and I understand that the Government will deliver a thorough consultation later this year to ensure that the legislation that is brought forward is effective in practice and that its impact is understood. We will fulfil our manifesto commitment to banning snare traps in England and we will tackle low-welfare dog breeding practices to bring an end to puppy farming.
I’ve long supported ending the use of cages on farms, while allowing farmers the time to plan and make necessary changes. In my view, these are outdated farming practices that cause animals distress and restrict their natural behaviour. It’s vital we ensure that any domestic production of animal products produced through higher welfare, cage-free standards is not simply undercut and replaced through trade deals allowing imports from countries still using lower-welfare cage systems.
I hope this assures you that the Government are pulling together an overarching approach to animal welfare across farmed animals, companion animals and wild animals.