Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the sentencing available for offences committed under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Sentencing of those found guilty of a criminal offence is a matter for the courts. Magistrates’ courts use sentencing guidelines published by the Sentencing Council to assist them when deciding the appropriate penalty for a particular offence. The Sentencing Council is currently undertaking a review of the guidelines.