What is the issue?
The Kept Animals Bill was first introduced in the House of Commons on 2 June 2021 and subsequently carried over into the 2021-22 Parliamentary session, with its remaining stages scheduled for 19 September 2022.
Understandably, this date was cancelled due to national events at the time. Progress of the Bill then stalled. An announcement was made on 25 May 2023, as part of the Government’s Animal Welfare Statement, that the Bill would be scrapped as its scope was becoming far wider than its original remit. In its place, the Government advised that they would introduce individual pieces of legislation to address some of the measures contained within the Bill.
BVA has long campaigned for activity in areas covered by the Bill, which makes provision for the welfare of certain kept animals that are in, imported into or exported out of Great Britain. The Bill was a golden opportunity to improve the health and welfare of billions of animals, and we are urging the Government not to let the important measures it contains to slip through the net.