Campaigners welcome sentience bill change
The amendment means the new committee has to respect heritage
AN amendment that ensures the Government’s animal sentience committee will respect heritage has been welcomed.
The amendment to the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill was introduced by MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, and accepted by the Government, on 14 March. H&H has reported that the bill, which enshrines animal sentience in law and ensures their needs are taken into account in policymaking, had caused controversy (news, 27 January).
Concerned MPs included Sir Geoffrey, who feared at the time the bill “could deliver another weapon into the hands of litigious animal rights groups”.
On 14 March, he said: “I think it is a sensible, proportionate amendment that will allow [the committee] to focus on those really egregious areas where animal sentience is being abused, and not run into some of the less important areas.”
The change means the committee’s recommendations must “respect legislative or administrative provisions and customs relating in particular to
religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage”.
Environment minister Jo Churchill said the Government would accept the amendment, adding: “We have heard the strength of feeling on this both here and in the [House of Lords], and I would like to assure him that we have listened.”
Tim Bonner, CEO of the Countryside Alliance, welcomed the amendment but said the bill was still “a fundamentally bad piece of legislation”.
“The risk remains that a future government might weaponise the committee to promote an animal rights agenda. These requirements will, at least, make it harder for them to get away with it. We and others will be here to ensure that due respect is given to the interests of people, as well as those of animals.”
Other amendments were not accepted, but this focused debate on appointments to the committee, to ensure members have no “other agendas”.