Defra Secretary, Michael Gove, has published a draft Bill to strengthen animal welfare, which includes recognising animal sentience in UK law.
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, welcomed the proposed new measures and laws, such as CCTV in abattoirs.
He said,
“These measures and new legislation are really tough and show the Government is committed to animal welfare both here at home and abroad after we leave the EU.”
A “big climbdown from the Government”
Meanwhile, Green MEP for the South East, Keith Taylor, said,
“This is a big victory for campaigners and Greens and a big climbdown from the Government.”
Of the animal sentience clause, he went on to say,
“This is a big victory for campaigners and Greens and a big climbdown from the Government. Only weeks ago Ministers and Tory MPs were scrambling to justify their vote against Caroline Lucas’s amendment to continue recognising animals as sentient beings – as they are in EU law – by claiming the provision already existed in UK law.
“Today’s draft bill proves that is simply not the case – as animal welfare campaigners and Greens maintained all along.
“EU recognition of animal sentience was groundbreaking – dropping it should never even have been an option for the UK government post-Brexit.
“Today’s bill might be an attempt to turn around yet another Conservative Party animal welfare PR disaster, but if it is implemented in a way that offers genuine recognition of the fact that animals think and feel, just like us, and affords them extra protection, accordingly, then the motivation matters little.”
Explicitly recognising animals as sentient beings
Following the voting down of the Green MP’s amendment to continue recognising animals as sentient beings, over 1,200 people in the veterinary industry signed a letter urging the government to ensure the notion that animals are sentient into British law.
John Fishwick, of British Veterinary Association (BVA) said,
“Vets have been clear in our calls that the duty on the state to have due regard for animal welfare – as captured in Article 13 of the EU Lisbon Treaty – must be enshrined in UK law.
“This Bill captures the substantive obligation that Article 13 currently puts on the national government to consider animal welfare, as well as explicitly recognising animals as sentient beings.
“Today’s draft Bill lays out in black and white the Government making good on its promises, to ensure the UK remains a global leader in animal welfare post-Brexit.”
