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Animals as Sentient Beings

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Thank you for contacting me about animal sentience.

First and foremost, I believe animals are sentient beings who can feel pain and suffering, and I would like to reassure you that strong action is being taken to reduce their risk of harm.

I am pleased that the Government is committed to further strengthening our world-leading animal welfare standards, and Ministers have committed to bringing in new laws on animal sentience following a clear manifesto commitment. Any necessary changes required to domestic legislation will be made in an effective and credible way and will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.
 
In the meantime, the Government’s policies on animal welfare continue to be driven by its recognition that animals are sentient beings. I believe that this commitment to the protection of animal welfare is demonstrated by my Ministerial colleagues continued support for the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill which passed its second reading in the House of Commons recently.
 
Having left the EU, the UK will now have the opportunity to do even more. Ministers have a commitment to end excessively long journeys for slaughter and fattening and intend to consult on how they deliver this shortly. Ministers will also be consulting in the near future on commitments to ban primates as pets, introduce mandatory cat microchipping and implement the Ivory Act. I am also encouraged that this Government has committed to ban imports from trophy hunting of endangered animals.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Craig Whittaker MP

December 2020

Campaign Responses

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  • Sarah Everard and Violence against Women and Girls
  • Abortion: Disability-Selective Abortions (EDM 521)
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  • Abortion and Foetal Pain: EDM 1340
  • Access to the Countryside
  • Aid: Girls in Crisis
  • Aid: Parliamentary Scrutiny
  • Aid Spending
  • Amazon
  • Animal Cruelty Sentencing
  • Animal Experiments: Update
  • Animals as Sentient Beings
  • Arthritis: 'Impossible to Ignore' (Versus Arthritis)
  • Assisted Suicide
  • Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Update
  • Badger Cull: Update
  • Beer and Alcohol Duty
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Brexit: Trade and Business
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  • Channel Crossings: Ending People Trafficking
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  • China: Persecution of Uyghur Muslims
  • Cladding (McPartland and Lords' Amendments): Updated
  • Cleaner Air
  • Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
  • Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act
  • Cycling and Walking: Update
  • Divorce Law Reform: Updated September 2020
  • Domestic Abuse Bill
  • Domestic Abuse: Migrants
  • Domestic Homicide
  • Domestic Abuse: Universal Credit
  • Duplicated Animal Tests (REACH)
  • Early Years Funding
  • Environment Bill (Updated)
  • E-scooters (Guide Dogs)
  • Evictions of Palestinians in Disputed Territories (EDM 529)
  • Export of Riot Control Equipment to the US
  • Fox Hunting
  • Fuel Duty and Prices
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  • Gender Recognition Act: Update
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  • Trophy Hunting Update
  • Transport Investment (#transformtransport)
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  • UK Internal Market Bill
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  • Visa-free Work Permits for Touring Artists
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  • Yemen: Concerns about UK Aid
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Craig Whittaker MP MP for Calder Valley

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