Animal Welfare Strategy

Debate between Danny Chambers and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 18th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)]

Merry Christmas, Mr Speaker. I thank the Secretary of State for her comments.

Let me mention something that we would like the animal welfare strategy to focus on. The Veterinary Surgeons Act was passed in 1966, and a lot has changed since then. More than 60% of veterinary practices are now owned by corporates; they used to be owned by individual veterinary surgeons. Medical care for animals is now provided by a whole range of para-professionals, including equine dental technicians, cattle hoof trimmers and animal physiotherapists, who are all unregulated. We also have very highly trained veterinary nurses, but the title of veterinary nurse is not protected.

I urge the Government to make updating the Veterinary Surgeons Act a centrepiece of their animal welfare strategy. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and the veterinary profession are calling for that. It would be good for owners, good for animals, and good for the veterinary profession, so I urge the Government to make that a key component of the strategy.

I am really excited about the fact that now that I am an MP, I will not be on call for Christmas, as I have been many times. I remind everyone not to feed their dogs mince pies and chocolate, and not to let them get hold of onion gravy, as that is what keeps us really, really busy at Christmas.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Danny Chambers and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 22nd July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)]

Many carers have told me how much they rely on respite care to protect their own physical and mental health so that they can continue to care for their loved ones day in, day out. The wonderful Chesil Lodge day centre in Winchester has recently been threatened with closure, and I have been fighting alongside constituents to keep it open. How will the Department ensure that respite services such as those at Chesil Lodge are consistently available and are not subject to a postcode lottery? Can I also—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I call the Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Danny Chambers and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 10th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Before we come to question 6, I notice that it was grouped, but to be honest I cannot see a relationship between the questions or why they were grouped together. I hope a message can be passed back to the Department to say that we need to have relevance in the way questions are grouped.

[Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)]

6. What steps her Department is taking through the criminal justice system to help support victims of ecocide.

Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill

Debate between Danny Chambers and Lindsay Hoyle

2nd reading
Friday 29th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)]

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

As we know, tens of thousands of puppies are illegally smuggled into the UK every year; it is a huge animal welfare problem. This Bill will help to close the issue of having mutilations in dogs. As a veterinary surgeon, I see many dogs with cropped ears and docked tails—acts that are illegal to perform in the UK. People are performing those acts in the UK then claiming that the puppies have been brought in from abroad. If we ban puppies coming in from abroad with those mutilations, it will be of huge benefit to animal welfare.

The Bill will also protect public health, because we know that the tens of thousands of dogs being brought in are not being tested for diseases such as rabies, which can affect people. This is also about serious organised crime: preventing tens of thousands of puppies being brought into the UK will help us to tackle the criminal gangs doing those acts.

In the interests of time, I will finish by saying that I am pleased to have cross-party support on this issue as well as the support of the entire veterinary profession. I thank the Dogs Trust, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the British Veterinary Association for all the work they did to help to make this happen.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Does the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) wish to come back in?

[Dr Chambers]

indicated dissent.

[Mr Speaker]

Good.

Question put and agreed to.

[Applause.]

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Danny Chambers and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 24th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Dr Danny Chambers.

[Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, but I withdraw my question.

[Mr Speaker]

In that case, I will go to Gareth Snell.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Danny Chambers and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 3rd September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Dr Chambers]

Over the past few weeks, I have been inundated with questions from the people of Winchester about the cuts in the winter fuel allowance, and it seems as though people from all parts of the House are getting similar correspondence. Although I totally understand that there are many wealthy pensioners who do not rely on the winter fuel allowance to heat their homes, a large proportion of pensioners live on or near the poverty line and will be plunged into crisis this winter. Given the huge strength of feeling in all parts of the House, will the Chancellor reconsider her decision? If not, will she at least commit to a vote and a debate in the House about how we best protect our most vulnerable—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Sorry, I have to get through the Order Paper. Put in for an Adjournment debate. Minister, I think you got the gist.