The bill aims to strengthen the law on livestock worrying in England and Wales. Dogs chasing and attacking livestock can cause death, distress and pregnancy loss in animals, as well as financial and emotional impacts for farmers. The bill would increase penalties, expand the definition of livestock and the locations where incidents take place, and give police more powers of evidence collection and dog detention.
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill: Research briefing (343KB PDF)
Farmers and police forces have called for modernisation of the law on dogs worrying and attacking livestock. Incidents can cause death, injury and lost pregnancies for affected animals, as well as distress and financial loss for farmers.
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill is a House of Commons private member’s presentation bill, sponsored by Aphra Brandreth (Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury) and supported in the House of Lords by Baroness Coffey (Conservative). The bill would change the law in England and Wales by amending the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 to:
The bill is identical to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill 2023–24, and includes amendments made to that bill during its Commons stages. The 2023–24 bill, sponsored by then-MP Thérèse Coffey, fell at dissolution after completing its Commons stages. Measures in both bills also reflect some provisions in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which was introduced in the 2021–22 session and then carried over to the 2022–23 session, before the government announced it would not proceed with the bill.
The government supports the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, and the Department for Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs has provided explanatory notes.
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill: Research briefing (343KB PDF)
The Nature’s Rights Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party). The bill would recognise nature as a legal subject, granting it specific rights for protection and restoration. The bill would set out a legal framework for how this would operate, including an integrated rights framework and mechanisms for how nature’s rights would be implemented and enforced.
![Nature’s Rights Bill [HL]: HL Bill 7 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Environment-568x426.png)
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
In recent years, electricity prices for both households and businesses have seen significant increases. This briefing sets out how electricity bills are calculated, how much on average they cost and how they compare internationally. It also provides commentary on why prices have been so high and gives an overview of government policy in this area.
