Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to work to reduce instances of crime against animals.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has taken steps to reduce crime against animals. We have provided over £800,000 in additional funding to the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the National Rural Crime Unit to strengthen enforcement against offences such as poaching and illegal wildlife trade. There are strong penalties in place for offences committed against wildlife and kept animals. For kept animals we have Penalty Notices for Animal Health and Welfare Offences, giving enforcement bodies a proportionate tool for lower-level breaches. For serious animal welfare offences courts can now impose up to five years’ imprisonment for the most serious cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act. These measures improve deterrence and ensure justice.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to help tackle animal beatings in Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner

Enforcement of animal welfare standards is primarily delivered through the powers available under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare.

The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 amended the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. Anyone who is cruel to an animal face being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.

Local authorities have powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering on any land, public or private.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Vet Times's article entitled Animal beating reported ‘once every 15 minutes’ – RSPCA, published on 22 August 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner

Cruelty to animals is unacceptable. The Government keeps animal welfare policy under review and is committed to ensuring that animals are protected from unnecessary suffering.

Enforcement of animal welfare standards is primarily delivered through the powers available under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare.

The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 amended the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. Anyone who is cruel to an animal faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.