Government response to Animal Sentience Committee’s report on the due regard to animal welfare

The Government’s response is summarised below:

Governance & Coordination

Rejected creating a central coordinating body or mandating specific resource allocations, citing cost and complexity. Instead, the government emphasised existing frameworks (like the Animal Health and Welfare Framework) and improvements in inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing.
Future plans include auditing local authorities’ enforcement of animal welfare laws.

Licensing, Inspections & Transparency

Licensing of farm businesses and regular inspections are under review following the Corry Review. Defra plans to consult on mandatory Animal Health and Welfare Reviews with a focus on veterinary-led guidance.
Data transparency on enforcement actions will be enhanced through a standardised dataset and potentially broader reporting mechanisms.
The government supports greater transparency in criteria for inspections but has no current plans to overhaul licensing or registration systems.

Pest Control & Wildlife Licensing

The government agreed that inspection protocols for pest control and guidance for humane methods are useful and will be reviewed, especially for non-licensable species.
For wild bird general licences, the government acknowledged limitations but maintained current oversight mechanisms, noting improvements in training and guidance.
Natural England uses a risk-based approach for compliance checks, supporting potential for more open (anonymised) reporting.

Reporting Mechanisms & Enforcement Tools

No new central reporting mechanism will be introduced, but government plans to raise awareness of existing pathways (like APHA’s helpline and local authority contacts).
Supports fixed penalties and improvement notices as tools, backed by statutory guidance and training. Feedback on new powers and returns from 2024 will inform future approaches.

Oversight & Agency Capacity

The government acknowledged issues with the effectiveness of animal seizure powers and is working with partners to resolve barriers.
APHA’s remit may be considered under the wider Arm’s Length Bodies Review, including their enforcement capacity and evidence-gathering ability.

Codes of Practice & Science Integration

Committed to updating codes of practice as needed, despite procedural delays requiring parliamentary approval. New zoo welfare standards were recently introduced.
Scientific evidence plays a central role in shaping both the codes and enforcement regimes, with inspections increasingly using animal-based outcome measures and formal risk protocols.