Animal cruelty

I am proud to have been elected on a Conservative manifesto that included a commitment to increasing sentences for animal cruelty, and I am pleased to support the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill, which was proposed by one of my Conservative colleagues, and has the Government’s full support.

 

Those who abuse animals must be punished with the full force of the law, and the Bill will enable tougher prison sentences for the most serious perpetrators of animal cruelty, increasing the maximum sentence from six months to five years – one of the toughest punishments in Europe.

 

The Bill has now passed through its Public Bill Committee, and I look forward to it returning to the House of Commons for report stage and third reading. You have my assurance that I will continue to do all I can to support the Bill’s swift passage through Parliament, so we can strengthen our position as a global leader on animal welfare, and send a message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in our country.