Welfare of Domestic Animals

Lord Black of Brentwood Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Black of Brentwood]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote the welfare of domestic animals, including prohibiting the use of electric shock collars.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Baroness Hayman of Ullock) (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government remain committed to improving the welfare of domestic animals. We are considering the available evidence around hand-controlled electronic collars and their effects on animal welfare, and we will outline our next steps in due course. More broadly, we are developing an overarching approach to animal welfare and have been engaging with key welfare organisations as part of this work. The Prime Minister has committed to publish an animal welfare strategy by the end of this year.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

I know the noble Baroness will agree that the use of electronic shock collars on cats and dogs is cruel and unnecessary, causing pain, fear and stress in animals we should be caring for. Could she therefore explain why they have not yet been banned, a full seven years after a consultation on their use in 2018 showed strong support in favour of a ban from those with animal welfare expertise? The then Government, with strong backing from the noble Baroness, were fully supportive, but draft regulations brought to this House in 2023 moved with glacial speed and timed out before the election. Since then, nothing has happened, and animals are still being caused pain and suffering. I know Whitehall can move with great speed when it wants to, but is not seven years unacceptable? Can the noble Baroness, who I know is a great supporter of animal welfare and a proud cat owner, tell us when these regulations will reappear?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

The noble Lord is absolutely right that I have been supporting this for some time, and that seven years is an awfully long time. That is why, when I came into my position as Animal Welfare Minister, I wanted to properly review all the animal welfare legislation that had been sitting there, left over from the previous Government. It is why we have been pulling together this overarching animal welfare strategy. We are looking at the available evidence on electronic shock collars. We are looking at the potential impacts on animal welfare, livestock management, dog training, and owner responsibility, which is an important part of it. So, as I say, keep a watching eye out for the animal welfare strategy.