No more delay on increasing prison sentences for animal cruelty, Labour demands

Labour has demanded that there be no more “dither and delay” on the move to increase prison sentences for animal cruelty, amid reports that there has been a spike during the coronavirus lockdown.

In a letter to the Environment Secretary, Luke Pollard has stressed the importance of Tory MP Chris Loder’s proposal that would see sentences for the most serious perpetrators of animal cruelty increased from six months to up to five years.

Since the government announced Covid-19 restrictions on March 23rd, the RSPCA has reported that animal rescuers dealt with 21,137 incidents of animal cruelty and suffering animals in need of help.

Labour has expressed concern that the coronavirus-related limitations on the activities of parliament would see the ‘Loder’s Law’ bill fall for a third time as there are not enough sitting days for private member’s bills.

Given cross-party support, the Shadow Environment Secretary has asked minister George Eustice to consider taking over the bill as a government bill and to ensure that time is provided for passing the proposed legislation.

Commenting on the demands, Pollard said: “Increasing prison sentences for animal cruelty enjoys strong cross-party support but this bill has been delayed and delayed again.

“With the lockdown making this measure urgent, we are calling on the government to ensure this measure becomes law urgently.

“We cannot have more dither and delay – it is our duty to make sure all pets are protected and the government must act now or more animals will suffer.”

Luke Pollard will be in conversation with LabourList from 6pm this evening, which readers can watch on the website live or after the event.

Below is the full text of Luke Pollard’s letter.

Dear Secretary of State,

I am writing to make the offer of cross-party working to ensure that increases in animal sentencing can be on the statute book by the autumn. Given the increase in animal cruelty in the lockdown I believe there is an immediate and urgent need to accelerate the introduction of increased sentences for animal cruelty.

I am concerned that with the loss of parliamentary time because of the lockdown it has not been possible to make progress on Chris Loder MP’s Private Member’s Bill to increase sentences from six months to five years.

On the current timetable Chris Loder’s Bill is not scheduled for Second Reading until September and I fear that it may in consequence run out of time before the next Queen’s Speech. By September we will have already waited three years since the government first committed to increase maximum sentences to five years for the worst offences. If this Bill falls, it will be the third time in a row and would be likely to mean another 12 month delay to this important measure to address weaknesses in the current penalties available for cruelty offences. This seems unnecessary given it enjoys cross party support and has also previously twice been a government bill.

Just to recap, the first bill was passed unamended in committee in July 2019 and was scheduled for report stage in the Commons on 4 September 2019, but then fell at the end of the 2017-2019 parliamentary session. Following the Queen’s Speech, the second Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill was scheduled for second reading on 29 October 2019 until parliament was then dissolved.

I am therefore writing to ask you to consider taking over the bill as a government bill, or approaching the business managers about providing government time to allow it to be passed before it falls. Little time should be needed given the strong cross party support.

Given the public interest in this matter I am making this letter available to the media. I look forward to working with you to get this bill passed swiftly.

Best wishes,

Luke Pollard
Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs