Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me regarding animals and live export.

The United Kingdom has led the way on animal welfare for a long time. In 2021, the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare, set out reforms for this Parliament and beyond. Since then, the Government has passed the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, recognising the sentience of vertebrate animals and some invertebrate animals. In addition, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act introduced tougher sentences for cruelty, increasing maximum sentences.

The Government recognises the long-standing public concern about animals being exported for slaughter and fattening, including livestock and horses, and Ministers are determined to end this trade. The Kept Animals Bill was designed to implement several ambitions for animal welfare, including banning live exports of animals.

However, the Bill’s multi-issue nature meant that there was considerable scope creep, and the Bill risked going beyond the original commitments in the manifesto on which I was elected and those set out in the action plan. Therefore, the Government announced in May that it would take forward measures in the Kept Animals Bill individually during the remainder of the Parliament.

Ministerial colleagues assure me that they remain committed to ending the export of live animals for fattening and slaughter. While there have not been any live exports for fattening or slaughter since 2020, the Government does intend to make this permanent.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Yours,

EDWARD LEIGH MP