Brexit Bill reversal 'great win' for UK animal health and welfare

Animal health bodies have welcomed the government’s U-turn on its plans for scrapping swathes of retained EU legislation, which could have wiped out 44 animal welfare laws.

Around 80% of all major animal welfare laws in the UK are those carried over from the European Union.

These include rules which placed a ban on battery hens and the use of growth promoters in farm animals.

The government had planned to scrap nearly 2,500 EU-era laws as part of the Retained EU Law Bill, which put an expiry date at the end of the year.

That process had put animal welfare laws - like banning battery hens - under threat.

Animal health and welfare campaigners warned that it risked “turning back the clock” on how UK legislation treated animals.

But in a change of plan, instead of listing retained legislation, the UK government has listed legislation it proposes to delete.

This will crucially apply to Scotland and Wales, who will also have the power to retain any laws that the UK government may not wish to keep for England, eliminating concern that devolved laws could be lost by mistake.

The RSPCA has 'warmly welcomed' the government’s U-turn, calling it a 'huge relief' for animal health and welfare in the UK.

The charity's head of public affairs, David Bowles said: “Shockingly, these laws could have vanished into thin air, which would have been an animal tragedy.

"Not only would it have been a huge backward step for animals but the government would have reneged on its commitment to maintain high standards of animal welfare post-Brexit."

Around 80% of all major animal welfare laws in the UK were agreed when the UK was a member of the EU.

Existing laws including the battery hen ban, the ban on imported seal products and the banning of growth promoters in farm animals are just some of the 44 animal welfare-related pieces of legislation brought over from the EU.