To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has held with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on online animal cruelty content since the publication of the Animal Sentience Committee’s October 2024 report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has held with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on online animal cruelty content since the publication of the Animal Sentience Committee’s October 2024 report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the effectiveness of her Department's engagement with reports produced by the Animal Sentience Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the effectiveness of her Department's engagement with reports produced by the Animal Sentience Committee.

I. Animal Sentience Committee: assessment of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill. 2p. II. Animal Sentience Committee: Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Private Members Bill. 2p. III. Animal Sentience Committee report: XL Bullies and the Dangerous Dogs Act. 4p. IV. Letter dated 23/12/2025 from Baroness Hayman of Ullock to the Deposited Papers Clerk regarding 3 reports for deposit in the House libraries. 1p.

I. Animal Sentience Committee: assessment of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill. 2p. II. Animal Sentience Committee: Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Private Members Bill. 2p. III. Animal Sentience Committee report: XL Bullies and the Dangerous Dogs Act. 4p. IV. Letter dated 23/12/2025 from Baroness Hayman...

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to announce the members appointed to the Animal Sentience Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to announce the members appointed to the Animal Sentience Committee.

My Lords, the Statement we are debating today starts with a list of government achievements on animal welfare. Of course, we always welcome any positive progress on animal welfare measures, but the problem is that that is not really the point of this Statement or why it has been made....

My Lords, the Statement we are debating today starts with a list of government achievements on animal welfare. Of course, we always welcome any positive progress on animal welfare measures, but the problem is that that is not really the point of this Statement or why it has been made....

My Lords, I welcome the chance to comment on this Statement. The Government have been active on the

animal welfare front and I commend their Action Plan for Animal Welfare. I have some questions for the Minister on progress on several fronts on this plan.

I was delighted when the Ivory...

My Lords, I welcome the chance to comment on this Statement. The Government have been active on the

animal welfare front and I commend their Action Plan for Animal Welfare. I have some questions for the Minister on progress on several fronts on this plan.

I was delighted when the Ivory...

My Lords, I am grateful for the contributions made by both Front-Bench spokesmen. We are a nation of animal lovers and that unites us across this House. Animal welfare has been a priority for this Government, and I say to the noble Baroness that she would be hard pushed to...

My Lords, I am grateful for the contributions made by both Front-Bench spokesmen. We are a nation of animal lovers and that unites us across this House. Animal welfare has been a priority for this Government, and I say to the noble Baroness that she would be hard pushed to...

Before the noble Lord sits down, if he is concerned about the widening of scope, perhaps he should suggest that the levelling up Bill is scrapped.

Before the noble Lord sits down, if he is concerned about the widening of scope, perhaps he should suggest that the levelling up Bill is scrapped.

I will definitely feed that very important piece of information through to my colleagues in other departments.

7.53 pm

I will definitely feed that very important piece of information through to my colleagues in other departments.

7.53 pm

My Lords, I declare my interest as co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare. I congratulate the Government on the animal welfare measures to date that have been listed in the Oral Statement of 25 May. I regret the withdrawal of the kept animals Bill but I note...

My Lords, I declare my interest as co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare. I congratulate the Government on the animal welfare measures to date that have been listed in the Oral Statement of 25 May. I regret the withdrawal of the kept animals Bill but I note...

It just so happened that while I was sitting here I received inspiration, so I am able to answer the noble Baroness’s question. The statutory instrument on keeping primates as pets will see an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which the noble Lord, Lord Trees, mentioned. We are...

It just so happened that while I was sitting here I received inspiration, so I am able to answer the noble Baroness’s question. The statutory instrument on keeping primates as pets will see an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which the noble Lord, Lord Trees, mentioned. We are...

I thank the Minister for his remarks so far. I join other noble Lords in expressing a level of disappointment at the Statement made in another House. I think the Minister himself mentioned the oft-used phrase that we are a nation of animal lovers. That is generally the case; it...

I thank the Minister for his remarks so far. I join other noble Lords in expressing a level of disappointment at the Statement made in another House. I think the Minister himself mentioned the oft-used phrase that we are a nation of animal lovers. That is generally the case; it...

I thank the noble Lord for his very balanced position on this. To use his analogy, I think this Government are the Taylor Swift of this, because our new material is every bit as good as our back catalogue. As for being progressive, I have always regretted that that word...

I thank the noble Lord for his very balanced position on this. To use his analogy, I think this Government are the Taylor Swift of this, because our new material is every bit as good as our back catalogue. As for being progressive, I have always regretted that that word...

In relation to it being a devolved matter, there have been a number of occasions—as we saw recently with organ donation—when the Government have intervened on issues with regard to Northern Ireland which would be considered devolved. But the rationale given in the other place for not including Northern Ireland...

In relation to it being a devolved matter, there have been a number of occasions—as we saw recently with organ donation—when the Government have intervened on issues with regard to Northern Ireland which would be considered devolved. But the rationale given in the other place for not including Northern Ireland...

The noble Lord’s point is absolutely taken. I completely understand it.

I finish by saying that these are, of course, matters where you can see the glass as half-full or half-empty. I think this is a glass that is nearly full, because we are wanting to take these matters forward. We...

The noble Lord’s point is absolutely taken. I completely understand it.

I finish by saying that these are, of course, matters where you can see the glass as half-full or half-empty. I think this is a glass that is nearly full, because we are wanting to take these matters forward. We...