4 Apr 2023
The Government has dismissed fears the bill could be scrapped or watered down, despite a former secretary of state joining veterinary and charity leaders in expressing doubts about its future.
Allister Webb
Job Title
BVA president Malcolm Morley has called on Rishi Sunak's Government to pass the Kept Animals Bill into law.
A “golden opportunity” to boost the welfare of millions of animals will be lost if long-awaited proposals do not become law, veterinary and charity sector leaders have warned.
The Government insists it remains “fully committed” to delivering the Kept Animals Bill, but refused to say it would become law before the next general election.
Now, amid public doubts from the minister who first introduced the bill, the BVA has released a letter from its president Malcolm Morley to prime minister Rishi Sunak, urging him to intervene.
The organisation is also calling for its members, and other veterinary professionals, to contact their MPs in support of the bill after Dr Morley pleaded for it not to be allowed to “slip through the net”.
He argued that the range of issues tackled in it, ranging from puppy smuggling and livestock worrying to the licensing of privately kept primates, give the bill its strength and make it critical that it proceeds as it is currently written.
He wrote: “The delay to this important bill is extremely concerning, as are reports that it will be split up and will not continue in its current form.
“The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill has significant public support and presents a golden opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of millions of animals.
“We urge you to prioritise this vital piece of legislation and set a date for its remaining stages.”
A similar message was given at the BSAVA Congress in Manchester by Dogs Trust’s veterinary director Paula Boyden, along with a stark appraisal of the potential consequences if ministers do not listen now.
She told delegates: “If it doesn’t get through this session, it’s going to be lost.”
Both Defra and its ministers have repeatedly insisted that the bill would be brought back before MPs “when parliamentary time allows”.
The most recent assurance of that kind came from Lord Benyon when he addressed the annual BVA London dinner on 8 March.
Asked by Vet Times whether the bill would become law before the next election, and what specific plans were in place to bring it back to Parliament, a Government spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to delivering our manifesto commitments on animal welfare, including ending the export of live animals, clamping down on puppy smuggling and banning the keeping of primates as pets.
“The date for the next stage of the bill will be announced in the usual way.”
But Dr Morley’s letter pointed out that 10 months have now passed since the bill had its second reading in the House of Commons, while the RSPCA claimed it had been “in limbo” for more than 500 days since the last meaningful parliamentary activity.
It is particularly concerned that a proposed ban on live exports – an issue it has campaigned on for decades – will be lost if the bill fails to proceed and is calling for members of the public, as well as vets, to highlight the issue.
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “When we left the EU, the UK Government said Brexit would finally allow us to ban live exports and uphold higher standards for animals in this country, and that’s why the 2021 announcement of a Kept Animals Bill was a landmark achievement and commitment to animal welfare.
“We and other organisations couldn’t have been prouder of our UK Government for this landmark achievement. The public wanted it, animal welfare charities demanded it, and many MPs supported it. But progress has totally ground to a halt.
“We now fear another shocking U-turn, and this key legislation to be scrapped altogether, or simply running out of time.”
Although fear of potential opposition amendments is thought to be one of the factors behind the delay, the sense of unease has been heightened by recent comments from the former environment secretary George Eustice.
In an interview with The i newspaper, Mr Eustice, who is one of more than 20 Conservative MPs leaving Parliament at the next election, said he was getting “mixed signals” about the bill’s fate and was concerned there may be a “lack of resolve” on the issue in Government.
He said: “The way we treat animals, in particular farmed animals, is a hallmark of a civilised society and you should be constantly striving to do better.
“My sense is that they’re putting less emphasis on animal welfare, which I think is a shame.
“The annoying thing for me would be if the Kept Animal Bill now also doesn’t go ahead because of a lack of resolve to take it through.”
