We welcomes the inclusion of the Animal Welfare and Agriculture Bills in today’s Queen’s Speech, but want ambitious targets set and urgent delivery in order to turn positive aspirations into truly world-leading animal welfare laws.

The proposed Bills must ensure that we retain the highest levels of animal welfare in our country, and specifically in our farming practices. These welcome intentions give limited detail on how these Bills, which have been on the table for over a year, will achieve this mammoth task.  

We want to urge the Government to use the reintroduction of these proposed Bills to fix flaws in the current proposals and to progress them quickly, to ensure further delay does not impact on the ability to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare. We must ensure that legislation is in place before the UK leaves the EU.

It is vital that the UK retains its reputation of having the highest standards of animal welfare in the world as we adopt a new agricultural policy post-Brexit. The Government has the unique opportunity to go above and beyond current European standards. We need to maintain and improve our welfare standards at home and abroad, particularly with new post-Brexit food trade deals about to be put on the table.

FOUR PAWS UK will continue to advocate for stronger animal welfare legislation, and make sure that we are the voices for thousands of animals who are not able to speak up for themselves.