Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of animal welfare laws on the protection of horses; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

When the Animal Welfare Act 2006 was reviewed in 2010, no recommendations were made specific to horses. Earlier this year, improvements were made to the Animals Act 1971 in relation to fly-grazing horses to enable horses left on other people’s land, without the landowner’s permission, to be removed more quickly. We have included the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970 in a review of animal establishment related licensing that my department is currently undertaking. We will issue a formal consultation shortly on a set of proposals.