Have your say on the Animal Welfare (Sentience) [HL] Bill
20 January 2022
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [HL] Bill 2021-22, 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.
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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 Public Bill Committee will scrutinise the Bill line by line. The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Tuesday 8 February and the Committee is scheduled to report by Thursday 10 February. 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 Thursday 10 February. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible. |
Aims of the Bill
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [HL] was introduced in the House of Lords on 13 May 2021.
The Bill, in its latest version as it arrives in the House of Commons, recognises all vertebrate animals and some invertebrate animals as sentient beings, although sentience is not defined.
The Bill requires the Government to establish an Animal Sentience Committee (ASC). The ASC will be able to examine whether the Government is taking into account the adverse effect of any policy “on the welfare of animals as sentient beings”.
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.
Follow the progress of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) [HL] Bill 2021-22
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [HL] Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 13 May 2021. It had its Second Reading in the House of Lords on 16 June 2021. It went through its Committee Stages on 6 and 20 July, Report Stage was on 6 December 2021 and Third Reading on 13 December. It was introduced into the House of Commons (Bill 219, 2021-22) the following day. Second Reading was held on 18 January 2022.
- Bills before Parliament: Animal Welfare (Sentience) [HL] Bill
- Read Explanatory Notes: Animal Welfare (Sentience) [HL] Bill
- House of Commons Library Briefing Paper
There will be no oral evidence sessions.
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 first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Tuesday 8 February and the Committee is scheduled to report by Thursday 10 February. 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 Thursday 10 February. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.
Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk
Further guidance on submitting written evidence can be found here.
Image: Parliamentary Copyright