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To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential safety risks of leaving children under the age of 12 unsupervised with a dog of any breed; and what if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential safety risks of leaving children under the age of 12 unsupervised with a dog of any breed; and what if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of...
From 1 November, it will be an offence to leave a child under the age of 12 in close proximity with a banned breed dog, in a home or garden without adult supervision. This measure is intended to strengthen safeguards for children, where evidence indicates they are at greater risk of serious injury from dog attacks, particularly in domestic settings.
Defra will work with partners, including policing and animal welfare organisations, to support clear and consistent communication that any dog can pose a risk in certain situations and that young children should always be supervised around all type of dogs. This Government does not currently have plans to extend the new age measure requirement to all breeds of dog.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to dogs covered by service licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to dogs covered by service licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA ensures that a project is only granted where a Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.
Under ASPA, projects proposing the use of specially protected species may only be authorised where no animal of lower sentience can be used to achieve the scientific objectives. In all cases, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) must be fully applied. This means that animal use is permitted only where no validated alternative exists, the minimum number of animals is used, and the most refined methods are used to minimise harm.
The Home Office publishes annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain, which break down procedures by species, type of procedure, and actual severity experienced by animals. They are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals. Information on the severity of procedures involving NHPs and dogs is set out in Table 3.1, with severity categorised under ASPA as non-recovery, mild, moderate or severe.
Additionally, the Home Office expects to respond to recommendations from the Animals in Science Committee on the use of NHPs in service licences, which is aimed at further strengthening protections for NHPs used in science for service licences.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Mr Twigg. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for introducing this debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. She is a fantastic, tireless champion of the rights of animals and...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Mr Twigg. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for introducing this debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. She is a fantastic, tireless champion of the rights of animals and...
I understand the timetable that the Minister is outlining, which is great, but there are still millions of tests being undertaken every year unnecessarily. We know about the forced swim and LD50 tests. Could the Minister outline a bit more the review of the generic project licences? How can we...
I understand the timetable that the Minister is outlining, which is great, but there are still millions of tests being undertaken every year unnecessarily. We know about the forced swim and LD50 tests. Could the Minister outline a bit more the review of the generic project licences? How can we...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the withdrawal of third-party public liability insurance from the Dogs Trust Companion Club scheme, effective 1st July, whether her department is taking steps to devise and implement a workable alternative solution for owners of exempted...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the withdrawal of third-party public liability insurance from the Dogs Trust Companion Club scheme, effective 1st July, whether her department is taking steps to devise and implement a workable alternative solution for owners of exempted...
Defra is working to ensure owners are supported to remain compliant with the law once the current insurance product ends. Dog owners must continue to meet all existing legal requirements but do not need to take any further action at this stage.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been seized from their owners under Section 18(5) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in each of the last five years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been seized from their owners under Section 18(5) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in each of the last five years.
Defra does not collect data on the financial costs to police forces associated with waiting times for Section 20 hearings under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, nor does it hold records on the number of dogs seized under Section 18(5) of the Act, or the length of time such dogs are held in dog homes or council facilities. These matters are operational responsibilities of police forces and local authorities, and any relevant information would be held by those bodies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs seized under Section 18 (5) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 were held in a a) dog home or b) council facility for longer than i) three months, ii) six months, and iii) 12 months...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs seized under Section 18 (5) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 were held in a a) dog home or b) council facility for longer than i) three months, ii) six months, and iii) 12 months...
Defra does not collect data on the financial costs to police forces associated with waiting times for Section 20 hearings under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, nor does it hold records on the number of dogs seized under Section 18(5) of the Act, or the length of time such dogs are held in dog homes or council facilities. These matters are operational responsibilities of police forces and local authorities, and any relevant information would be held by those bodies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations has she had with HM Courts and Tribunal Service regarding the potential impact of court delays on a) the welfare of dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act, b) the Local Authorities and c) dog homes...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations has she had with HM Courts and Tribunal Service regarding the potential impact of court delays on a) the welfare of dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act, b) the Local Authorities and c) dog homes...
There have been discussions at official level between Defra and HM Courts and Tribunal Services regarding the potential impact of court delays. These discussions have included issues in relation to taking animals into possession, as well as other related matters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the financial costs to police forces of current waiting times in securing Section 20 hearings for dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the financial costs to police forces of current waiting times in securing Section 20 hearings for dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Defra does not collect data on the financial costs to police forces associated with waiting times for Section 20 hearings under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, nor does it hold records on the number of dogs seized under Section 18(5) of the Act, or the length of time such dogs are held in dog homes or council facilities. These matters are operational responsibilities of police forces and local authorities, and any relevant information would be held by those bodies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the additional financial costs caused as a result of current waiting times in securing Section 20 hearings for dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to each police force in a) financial year 2022-2023,...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the additional financial costs caused as a result of current waiting times in securing Section 20 hearings for dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to each police force in a) financial year 2022-2023,...
Defra does not collect data on the financial costs to police forces associated with waiting times for Section 20 hearings under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, nor does it hold records on the number of dogs seized under Section 18(5) of the Act, or the length of time such dogs are held in dog homes or council facilities. These matters are operational responsibilities of police forces and local authorities, and any relevant information would be held by those bodies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the impact of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 in potentially reducing the a) financial burden on and b) kennel capacity of i) Scottish Local Authorities and...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the impact of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 in potentially reducing the a) financial burden on and b) kennel capacity of i) Scottish Local Authorities and...
In Defra’s recently published Animal Welfare Strategy, this Government committed to undertake a review to ensure the appropriate tools and frameworks are in place to deliver a proportionate and robust enforcement system. This would include powers to seize or rehome animals where necessary.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration has she given to introducing powers for local authorities in England and Wales to rehome dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after 21 days without a court order, as in Scotland.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration has she given to introducing powers for local authorities in England and Wales to rehome dogs seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after 21 days without a court order, as in Scotland.
In Defra’s recently published Animal Welfare Strategy, this Government committed to undertake a review to ensure the appropriate tools and frameworks are in place to deliver a proportionate and robust enforcement system. This would include powers to seize or rehome animals where necessary.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the ability of the public to protest the use of beagles in scientific...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the ability of the public to protest the use of beagles in scientific...
On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Home Office laid an affirmative Statutory Instrument in Parliament to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Public Order Act 2023. This will amend the list of key national infrastructure within Section 7 of the Act, to add the Life Sciences sector and define the Life Sciences sector in Section 8 of the Act.
Under Section 7 of the Act, a person commits an offence if:
- They do an act which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales, and
- They intend that act to interfere with the use or operation of such infrastructure or are reckless as to whether it will do so.
The amendment is designed to address only certain behaviours impacting the Life Sciences sector. It does not ban protests. It specifically targets deliberate or reckless interference with infrastructure within the Life Sciences sector, that could undermine our sovereign capability to prepare for and respond to a pandemic.
Whether an activity, online or otherwise, meets the criminal threshold within Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023 will be fact specific and is an operational matter for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, who are all operationally independent from the government.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms Jardine. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for leading this important debate. In Newport West and Islwyn, 562 of my constituents have signed this petition. I am pleased to have the...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms Jardine. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for leading this important debate. In Newport West and Islwyn, 562 of my constituents have signed this petition. I am pleased to have the...
If the hon. Gentleman had read my speech a little bit further, he would have found that I have some specific questions for the Minister—it is always good to ask specifics.
It is vital that the Government produce and execute ambitious road maps for accelerating the development and uptake of advanced...
If the hon. Gentleman had read my speech a little bit further, he would have found that I have some specific questions for the Minister—it is always good to ask specifics.
It is vital that the Government produce and execute ambitious road maps for accelerating the development and uptake of advanced...
My hon. Friend makes a vital point; it is all about transparency. At the moment, as he rightly said, the Government do not routinely provide information about the number of animals that are bred for use in scientific procedures, but not used. What happens to those animals later in their...
My hon. Friend makes a vital point; it is all about transparency. At the moment, as he rightly said, the Government do not routinely provide information about the number of animals that are bred for use in scientific procedures, but not used. What happens to those animals later in their...
The Minister is making an interesting speech, because the Labour party manifesto commitment is very clear: we are looking to ban animal testing. We have talked about a road map, which Labour has committed to, so when will that be published and when will the strategy be published? I ask...
The Minister is making an interesting speech, because the Labour party manifesto commitment is very clear: we are looking to ban animal testing. We have talked about a road map, which Labour has committed to, so when will that be published and when will the strategy be published? I ask...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Table 7.3 : Experimental procedures by species of animal: regulatory use by origin of legislative requirement, Great Britain 2014 to 2023 of her Department’s Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2023, published on 11...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Table 7.3 : Experimental procedures by species of animal: regulatory use by origin of legislative requirement, Great Britain 2014 to 2023 of her Department’s Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2023, published on 11...
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) with the Home Office and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs involvement is leading on a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
Pharmaceutical legislation requires that, before a medicine can be approved for testing in humans, it is tested in a rodent and non-rodent species under international guidelines. This may include dogs as an appropriate model. The majority of Beagles bred for use in science (85%) are for the purposes of regulatory testing under legislation on pharmaceutical products for human use. The number of Beagles bred is largely determined by the forecast needs of the pharmaceutical industry that require testing of medicines.
The Home Office regulator ensures compliance of all work licensed with the rigorous requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. The number of animals used in scientific research and testing, including Beagles, is published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#statistics.
The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is to introduce legislation to end (a) puppy and (b) kitten smuggling.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is to introduce legislation to end (a) puppy and (b) kitten smuggling.
As outlined in our manifesto, we are committed to ending puppy smuggling. The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Danny Chambers MP. The Bill will close loopholes in the non-commercial pet travel rules that are abused by unscrupulous traders and give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom.
We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Motion that this House has considered Government support for the RSPCA. Agreed to on question.
Motion that this House has considered Government support for the RSPCA. Agreed to on question.