The UK has long led the way on animal welfare. Ministers are building on our world-leading standards with ambitious reforms, as outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will introduce landmark protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals. The Kept Animals Bill was carried over into this parliamentary session following the Queen’s Speech in May 2022. The Government recognises that there is strong support for the Bill across Parliament and it will return to the House as soon as parliamentary time allows.
The transportation of animals can have serious negative effects on the animals’ welfare, especially over long journeys, due to a variety of factors, such as distress, injury from unsuitable transport, hunger, dehydration and heat/cold stress. There has been longstanding public and parliamentary concern over the welfare issues arising from this trade. Following a public consultation on the Government’s manifesto commitment to end excessively long journeys for animals for slaughter and fattening, the Kept Animals Bill will ban the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and equines for slaughter and fattening beginning in or transiting through Great Britain to a third country.
Over 11,000 responses were received in the Government’s consultation, and 86 per cent of respondents agreed that livestock and equine export journeys for slaughter and fattening were unnecessary. As part of the consultation, Ministers considered proposals covering maximum journey times, temperature conditions, space and headroom allowances and transport times.
