Key Facts

• The Bill will prohibit the advertisement of tourist activities abroad that infringe on animal welfare standards.
• World Animal Protection estimates up to 550,000 wild animals are suffering worldwide for tourism purposes.
• The Act is due to take effect two months following Royal Assent.
• Briefing note highlighted 12 recurring themes of low-welfare practices affecting animals abroad.
• Asian elephants are taken from the wild, sometimes with their mothers killed, to be used in tourist activities like rides.
• At least 700 tourists and others have been killed by captive Asian elephants, with more than 900 suffering injuries.
• The Bill enables the introduction of a domestic ban on advertising and offering for sale of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
• An activity is considered low welfare if it would be an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England or the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
• All activity regulations will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny via the affirmative procedure.
• The Bill applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland but provisions apply only to England and Northern Ireland.
• Provisions will come into force two months after passing.
• The UK has recently passed several animal welfare acts including the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 and the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021.
• The Bill has completed several stages including Committee stage.
• There are further hurdles such as Report and Third Reading before moving to the House of Lords.
• The Bill aims to address low-welfare activities involving animals abroad.