Animals as Sentient Beings

Thank you for contacting me regarding "Animals as Sentient Beings".

Of course animals are sentient beings. Not only do I recognise that but so does the Government as the Prime Minister said in PMQs on Wednesday 22nd November,

"We recognise and respect that animals are sentient beings and should be treated accordingly."

Last week's campaign which suggested that a vote on New Clause 30 of the EU Withdrawal Bill somehow signalled a weakening in the protection of animals was plain wrong. Voting against the amendment was not a vote against the idea that animals are sentient and feel pain. That was I am afraid an absurd misconception.

Ministers explained on the floor of the Commons last week that this Government's policies on animal welfare are driven by our recognition that animals are indeed sentient beings and we are acting energetically to reduce the risk of harm to animals. Last week's vote was simply the rejection of a faulty amendment, which would not have achieved its stated aims of providing appropriate protection for animals. There are some 480 Amendments tabled to this particular Bill and Parliament has a duty to ensure that any amendments taken still ensure that the law of the land "works" and does what it means to do.

In fact in Prime Minister's Questions, the Prime Minister went on to make it crystal clear that we will strengthen our animal welfare rules. This government will ensure that any necessary changes required to UK law are made in a properly rigorous and comprehensive way to ensure animal sentience is recognised after we leave the EU. The Withdrawal Bill (which already covers some 178 pages and transfers existing EU laws into UK law) is not the right place to address this.

We are already proposing primary legislation to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years, and the creation of a new statutory, independent body to uphold environmental standards.

The truth is that the current EU instrument - Article 13 - has not delivered the progress we want to see. It does not have direct effect in law - in practice its effect is unclear and it has failed to prevent practices across the EU which are cruel and painful to animals. Strong supporters of the Article would be horrified to see practices that exist in the EU under the Article - such as bullfighting - established in the UK.

In contrast, here in the UK, we are improving animal welfare standards without EU input and beyond the scope of Article 13. We are making CCTV mandatory in all slaughterhouses - a requirement which goes above and beyond any EU rule. We will consult on draft legislation to jail animal abusers for up to five years - more than almost every other European nation. We propose combatting elephant poaching with a ban on the ivory trade which is more comprehensive than anywhere else in Europe. Our ban on microbeads which harm marine animals has been welcomed by Greenpeace as "the strongest in the world", and is certainly the strongest in Europe.

Once we have left the EU there is even more we could do. EU rules prevent us from restricting or banning the live export of animals for slaughter. EU rules also restrict us from cracking down on puppy smuggling or banning the import of puppies under 6 months. Article 13 has not stopped any of these practices - but leaving the EU gives us the chance to do much better. We hope to say more in these areas next year.

I hope this reassures you about what the Government and Parliament is actually doing and the strong steps we are proposing to take not only now but after we leave the EU.

Parliament should not be about "declamatory" statements of intent - no matter how popular. It should be about the passage of meaningful legislation which actually improves the situation, in this case for animals. That is what you will continue to see from this Government.

I am afraid, in my view, PMQs rarely shows Parliament at its best but in case it is of interest I attach below a clip of the Prime Minister making the comments to which I refer above.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/9851d847-d695-4764-b919-29948da956af?in=12:15:50&out=12:17:11

Thank you again for contacting me.