Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022

May 8, 2022

View original document Full text of the document

<hcontainer xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" xmlns:ukl="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation" name="crossheading" ukl:Name="Pblock" eId="crossheading-animal-sentience-committee"><heading>Animal Sentience Committee</heading><section eId="section-1"><num>1</num>

<section xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-1"><num>1</num><heading>Animal Sentience Committee</heading><subsection eId="section-1-1"><num>(1)</num><content>The Secretary of State must establish and maintain a committee called the Animal Sentience Committee.

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-1-1"><num>(1)</num><content>The Secretary of State must establish and maintain a committee called the Animal Sentience Committee.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-1-2"><num>(2)</num><content>The members of the Committee are to be appointed by the Secretary of State.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-1-3"><num>(3)</num><content>The appointment of a person to the Committee is to be on such terms as the Secretary of State may determine when making the appointment.</content></subsection>

<section xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2"><num>2</num><heading>Reports of the Committee</heading><subsection eId="section-2-1"><num>(1)</num><content>When any government policy is being or has been formulated or implemented, the Animal Sentience Committee m

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-1"><num>(1)</num><content>When any government policy is being or has been formulated or implemented, the Animal Sentience Committee may produce a report containing its views on the question in subsection <ref href

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-2"><num>(2)</num><content>The question is whether, or to what extent, the government is having, or has had, all due regard to the ways in which the policy might have an adverse effect on the welfare of animals as

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-3"><num>(3)</num><content>The report may also contain recommendations as to the steps the Committee considers the government should take for the purpose in subsection (4).</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-4"><num>(4)</num><content>The purpose is that of ensuring that, in any further formulation or implementation of the policy, the government has all due regard to the ways in which the policy might have an adverse e

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-5"><num>(5)</num><content>Recommendations made by the Committee must respect legislative or administrative provisions and customs relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritag

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-6"><num>(6)</num><content>A report under this section must be published in such manner as the Committee thinks appropriate.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-7"><num>(7)</num><content>References in this section to government policy are to policy of the government of the United Kingdom, but do not include any policy if, or to the extent that, the policy relates to legis

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-2-8"><num>(8)</num><intro>For the purposes of subsection <ref href="#section-2-7">(7)</ref> legislative provision falls within devolved competence if and to the extent that—</intro><level class="para1" eId="sect

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-2-8-a"><num>(a)</num><content>the provision would be within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament if contained in an Act of that Parliament,</content></level>

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-2-8-b"><num>(b)</num><content>the provision would be within the legislative competence of Senedd Cymru if contained in Act of the Senedd (including any provision that could only be made with the consent of

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-2-8-c"><num>(c)</num><content>the provision would be within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly if contained in an Act of that Assembly made without the Secretary of State’s consent.

<section xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-3"><num>3</num><heading>Response to reports</heading><subsection eId="section-3-1"><num>(1)</num><content>Where the Animal Sentience Committee publishes a report under section 2, the Secretary of State must lay a respo

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-3-1"><num>(1)</num><content>Where the Animal Sentience Committee publishes a report under section 2, the Secretary of State must lay a response to the report before Parliament within the period specified in subsecti

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-3-2"><num>(2)</num><content>The period is three months beginning with the day on which the Committee’s report is published.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-3-3"><num>(3)</num><intro>The following do not count towards the three months referred to in subsection <ref href="#section-3-2">(2)</ref>—</intro><level class="para1" eId="section-3-3-a"><num>(a)</num><content>

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-3-3-a"><num>(a)</num><content>any day in a period during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued, and</content></level>

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-3-3-b"><num>(b)</num><content>any day in a period of four or more days during which both Houses of Parliament are adjourned.</content></level>

<hcontainer xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" xmlns:ukl="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation" xmlns:uk="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/UK-AKN" xmlns:default="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" name="crossheading" ukl:Name="Pblock" eId="crossheading-suppl

<section xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" xmlns:uk="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/UK-AKN" xmlns:ukl="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation" xmlns:default="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" eId="section-4"><num>4</num><heading>Information</heading><subse

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" xmlns:uk="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/UK-AKN" xmlns:ukl="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation" xmlns:default="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" eId="section-4-1"><num>(1)</num><content><mod>In Schedule

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" xmlns:uk="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/UK-AKN" xmlns:ukl="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation" eId="section-4-2"><num>(2)</num><content><mod>In Part 6 of Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information Act

<section xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-5"><num>5</num><heading>Interpretation</heading><subsection eId="section-5-1"><num>(1)</num><intro>In this Act “<term refersTo="#term-animal" eId="term-animal">animal</term>” means—</intro><level class="para1" eId=

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-5-1"><num>(1)</num><intro>In this Act “<term refersTo="#term-animal" eId="term-animal">animal</term>” means—</intro><level class="para1" eId="section-5-1-a"><num>(a)</num><content>any vertebrate other than <i

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-5-1-a"><num>(a)</num><content>any vertebrate other than homo sapiens,</content></level>

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-5-1-b"><num>(b)</num><content>any cephalopod mollusc, and</content></level>

<level xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" class="para1" eId="section-5-1-c"><num>(c)</num><content>any decapod crustacean.</content></level>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-5-2"><num>(2)</num><content>The Secretary of State may by regulations amend this section so as to bring invertebrates of any description within the meaning of “<term refersTo="#term-animal" eId="term-animal">animal<

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-5-3"><num>(3)</num><content>Regulations under this section must be made by statutory instrument.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-5-4"><num>(4)</num><content>Regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument containing them has been laid before, and approved by resolution of, each House of Parliament.</content

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-5-5"><num>(5)</num><content>In this section “vertebrate” and “invertebrate” have the meanings given by section 1(5) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.</content></subsection>

<section xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-6"><num>6</num><heading>Extent, commencement and short title</heading><subsection eId="section-6-1"><num>(1)</num><content>This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.</content></subsection

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-6-1"><num>(1)</num><content>This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-6-2"><num>(2)</num><content>This Act, apart from this section, comes into force on such day or days as the Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument appoint.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-6-3"><num>(3)</num><content>This section comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.</content></subsection>

<subsection xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" eId="section-6-4"><num>(4)</num><content>This Act may be cited as the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.</content></subsection>