The Animal Welfare( Sentience) Bill has its Report Stage on the 14 March.
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [HL] was introduced in the House of Lords on 13 May 2021.
We ask MPs to support the important Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill in its final parliamentary stages.
The Bill recognises all vertebrate animals and some invertebrate animals as sentient beings. Sentience is not defined in the Bill.
The Bill requires the Government to establish an Animal Sentience Committee (ASC). The ASC will be able to scrutinise and report on whether the Government is taking into account the adverse effect of any policy “on the welfare of animals as sentient beings”. The ASC will not have an advisory or enforcement role.
The Bill is short, consisting of six clauses split into two sections. The first covers the ASC and its role. The second section covers transparency, definition of animal for the purposes of the Bill and its territorial extent. The Bill was welcomed by animal welfare organisations.
Contact your MP and ask them to support the Bill here
