Bleak Outlook for Equine Sector after Animals Act Amendment Fails – says CLA

A decision by a Labour back-bench MP to talk out a vital amendment to the Animals Act will have dire consequences for anybody with a business involving animals which come into contact with the public – according to the CLA, the rural economy experts.

The Private Member's Bill, which sought to amend a House of Lords interpretation of the 1971 Animals Act applying strict liability to all animal owners, had been brought forward for its second reading today (Friday March 14th ) by the Conservative Member of Parliament for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Stephen Crabb. It came at the end of two years campaigning and lobbying by the CLA, who had helped draft the original bill.

Even though the Bill had been given government support and was widely recognised as providing an opportunity to reduce insurance costs by rationalising the issue of liability where ordinary animals were concerned, Andrew Dismore MP took the opportunity to talk the bill out – something the CLA said was "hugely disappointing."

The decision will affect the whole equine sector as well as livestock farmers and individual owners who have been hit by spiralling – and often prohibitive - insurance costs since the House of Lords judgement.

Under current law, The House of Lords ruled in 2003 that "strict liability" applied to all animal owners, - even the owners of a perfectly normal animal that causes injury just by behaving in a way typical of its species - which means that owners of animals such as horses and cattle can face huge compensation

CLA experts said that the chances of insurance terms levelling out were now remote and the fact that the Bill had failed to get through its second reading would do nothing to help the victims involved in accidents where animals were involved.

CLA President, Henry Aubrey Fletcher, said: " Stephen Crabb has put a great deal of effort into this bill and we share his disappointment that it has failed to progress. We hope that the government will now pick up the baton and find another legislative opportunity to see the bill amended and remedy the uncertainty it has created for animal owners.