Have your say on the Wild Animals in Circuses Bill
8 May 2019 (updated on 8 May 2019)
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Wild Animals in Circuses (No.2) Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament?
If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration. The Committee is expected to meet for the first time on Tuesday 21 May 2019; it will stop receiving written evidence at the end of the Committee stage, which is expected to be not later than 5.00pm on Wednesday 22 May 2019. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Wednesday 22 May.* |
* In the last Parliamentary Session, the following Public Bill Committees concluded their consideration of the Bill earlier than scheduled: Criminal Finances, Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts), Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs), Neighbourhood Planning, Savings (Government Contributions), Technical and Further Education, Commonwealth Development Corporation, Children & Social Work, National Citizen Service, and Bus Services.
Aims of the Bill
There has been a long running campaign in the UK to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses, which is a devolved issue. A licencing scheme for wild animals in circuses, with a 2020 sunset clause, was introduced in England in 2013. The then Government committed to the introduction of a ban by the end of 2015 and published a draft Bill for consultation.
The current Government set out in 2016 its intention to introduce legislation to ban the use of wild animals in circuses when parliamentary time allowed. On publication of a review of the existing regulation in 2018 it announced that it would seek to enact a ban by 2020 and allow the licencing regulations to expire.
A short Bill was published on 30 April 2019, introducing a ban from 20 January 2020.
Follow the progress of the Wild Animals in Circuses (No.2) Bill
The Wild Animals in Circuses Bill (No.2) 2017-19 (HC Bill 385) was published on 30 April 2019. The Second reading of the Bill in the House of Commons was held on Tuesday 7 May 2019.
This Bill has now been committed to a Public Bill Committee and is expected to hold oral evidence sessions on Tuesday 21 May 2019. The Public Bill Committee must conclude by Wednesday 22 May.
Guidance on submitting written evidence
Deadline for written evidence submissions
The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration, and possibly reflect it in an amendment. The order in which amendments are taken in Committee will be available in due course under Selection of Amendments on the Bill documents pages. Once the Committee has dealt with an amendment it will not revisit it.
The Committee is expected to meet for the first time on Tuesday 21 May 2019; it will stop receiving written evidence at the end of the Committee stage on Wednesday 22 May 2019. Please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Wednesday 22 May 2018.
Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk.
Further guidance on submitting written evidence can be found here.
Image: iStockphoto