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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to lengthen the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences.

The Sentencing Council recently updated its guidelines for magistrates. In their revised guideline, the Sentencing Council aims to ensure that the most serious cases of animal cruelty receive longer sentences of up to the maximum of 6 months’ imprisonment. The Government keeps maximum penalties under review. This includes sentencing trends, and whether there is any evidence that the courts may be finding their sentencing powers inadequate.