Government & Legislation

Nov- 2021 -

22 November

Gov brings forward Kept Animals Bill plans

The government has announced plans to bring forward a new criminal offence for pet abduction in its Kept Animals Bill. The bill which was first introduced in September, will see offenders face up to five years in prison for dog abduction offences. Prior to this new offence, pet theft was…

1 November

The Animal Health and Welfare Board secures six new members

Biosecurity minister Lord Benyon has announced the appointment of six new members to the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England. The appointments of Peter Laurie, Emma Slawinski, Gwyn Jones, James Russell, John Reed and Charles Sercombe will take immediate effect, they will serve for three years and will support…

Jul- 2021 -

5 July

Retailers call on PM to ‘support’ laws against retail violence

Some 100 of the UK’s “leading” retailers have written to the Prime Minister calling on him to support an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would tackle violence and abuse against retail workers. The letter, which was coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), comes as…

Jun- 2021 -

11 June

Bira calls for extension of Gov’s TCR scheme

Bira is calling for an extension in the government’s Trade Credit Reinsurance (TCR) scheme. CEO of Bira, Andrew Goodacre said the removal of the scheme as planned on June 30, 2021, could “not come at a worse time for independent retailers”. In May, the government announced the temporary TCR scheme…

May- 2021 -

26 May

BRC calls for increased protection as shop worker abuse jumps 7%

The BRC is continuing to push the government for a “statutory offence” for assaulting, threatening, or abusing retail workers, after staff report on average 455 incidents of violence and abuse each day. A study, which was conducted by the group as part of its ‘2021 Retail Crime Survey’, showed that…

25 May

BRC calls on government to ‘accelerate use’ of green goods vehicles

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has written to the secretary of state for transport, Grant Shapps MP, calling on the government to act to encourage the take up of green technologies and reduce emissions from goods vehicles. According to the BRC, retailers are “making progress” to address this issue, but…

10 May

New gov taskforce to investigate reported rise in pet thefts

A new government taskforce was launched by environment secretary George Eustice on Saturday (8 May) to investigate the reported rise in pet theft since the beginning of lockdown. Over the past year, sales platforms have reported a considerable rise in puppy and kitten prices, with people deciding to adopt or…

Apr- 2021 -

30 April

Animal abusers face tougher sentencing as Animal Welfare Bill passes

Animal abusers in England and Wales are set to face tougher sentences in the wake of a new law being passed. Yesterday (29 April), The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill received Royal Assent and was passed into law. The bill increases the maximum sentencing under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 from…

15 April

MPs take evidence on violence against retail workers

The Home Affairs Committee opened its inquiry into violence against retail workers yesterday (14 April), with MPs taking evidence from industry leaders, trade associations and unions. The new inquiry will examine the “barriers” to reporting incidents and the quality of support provided to victims by police and employers, as well…

Feb- 2021 -

25 February

CTSI warns of unofficial pet microchipping registration website

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has issued a warning regarding a website advertised on Google that offers pet microchip registration but does not meet UK Government standard The service, called UK Pet Chip Registry, claims that for a charge of £15, it will add the pet’s microchip details to…