Animal Welfare: Penalties

Baroness Parminter Excerpts
Monday 16th January 2017

(7 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Asked by
Baroness Parminter Portrait Baroness Parminter
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase the penalties for animal welfare offences.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Gardiner of Kimble) (Con)
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My Lords, while there are no current proposals to increase the maximum penalties for animal welfare offences, the Government want to see courts use the range of penalties available. We will continue to keep the maximum penalties for animal welfare offences under review.

Baroness Parminter Portrait Baroness Parminter (LD)
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I thank the Minister for that reply. The maximum sentence available for extreme and premeditated cruelty is six months. We lag behind the rest of mainland Europe and Northern Ireland, whose maximum sentence is five years. Given that the EFRA Select Committee has now recommended a rise to five years, is it not time that the sentence matched the crime?