This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the second reading of the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill in the House of Lords on 1 March 2019.
Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages (241KB PDF)
Under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to inflict unnecessary suffering on an animal. In determining whether an offence has been committed, it must be considered whether suffering was for a “legitimate purpose”, such as protecting a person or property. The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill is a private member’s bill which would disregard this consideration in cases related to police dogs and horses, making prosecution easier. The exemption proposed by the bill would only apply if the animal is under the control of a relevant officer and was being used appropriately at the time of the incident; it would not apply if the defendant is the relevant officer.
The bill was presented in the House of Commons on 13 June 2018 by Sir Oliver Heald (Conservative MP for North East Hertfordshire) and gained official Government support shortly after. The bill passed second reading on 6 July 2018 without debate and received cross-party support at committee stage on 16 January 2019. It completed its Commons stages on 8 February 2019, passing through the House without amendment. The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 11 February 2019, sponsored by Viscount Trenchard (Conservative), and is scheduled for second reading on 1 March 2019. Although it is not a government bill, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has produced the bill’s explanatory notes, with the consent of Viscount Trenchard.
Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages (241KB PDF)
Rural areas contribute a significant proportion of England’s economic output. The government has announced several policies intended to support growth in the rural economy, including farming. However, it has faced criticism for the delay in outlining its overall strategy for the agricultural sector. This briefing provides data on the rural economy and summarises government policy and stakeholder reaction
The UK is required to contribute towards the prevention of atrocity crimes globally. Successive UK governments have used various mechanisms aimed at preventing mass atrocities. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised in recent years regarding the continued occurrence of large-scale violence worldwide. This has prompted some parliamentarians and external stakeholders to call on the government to do more to prevent such atrocities.
The level of abuse and intimidation aimed at those seeking or holding elected office in local government has been increasing. The Local Government Association has found that almost three-quarters of local councillors in England report feeling personally at risk when fulfilling their role. The government has called such abuse and intimidation unacceptable and is pursuing a range of measures in response, including via the Representation of the People Bill.
