Henry Smith MP column, Crawley Observer, 16 September 2015
This week in Parliament, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare took place. As the Co-Chairman of the Group with the other members, MPs act with campaigners on how we can continue to work together to ensure greater protections of animals.
In this role I meet with many animal welfare organisations to hear their views – as such, the meeting on Tuesday will focus on the Hunting Act, where we will hear from the RSPCA, the Countryside Alliance and the League Against Cruel Sports, on whether the Act has been effective and what could make it better.
Earlier this year, I was pleased to co-sign a letter alongside other Conservative Members of Parliament, calling for the protection of the Hunting Act.
Before the summer parliamentary recess, I joined with the International Fund for Animal Welfare to support a permanent end to Japan’s Antarctic whaling. I also wrote to the President of Indonesia, calling on him to end the practise of keeping wild dolphins in small swimming pools and in trucks to use in travelling circuses.
I am aware of the strength of feeling that many people in Crawley have with regard to the importance of securing improvements in animal welfare.
Another issue of concern is the trade in exotic animals as pets within the UK. A report by Captive Animal Protection Society revealed that more than 1,000 species of exotic animals are kept by private keepers in the UK, with the sale of exotic pets over the internet growing.
Whilst some are bred in captivity, many are still taken from the wild and each species is highly adapted for its own unique environment, so often a human home cannot provide for all of the animals’ needs. The Group will consider how the welfare of exotic pets can be improved by better regulation.
A number of people have been sending me emails and postcards regarding CCTV in slaughterhouses. Before the general election, I was pleased to lead this call in the House of Commons by initiating a parliamentary debate supporting its introduction.
I continue to work alongside groups such as Animal Aid, to ensure the campaign for improved protection continues.
For more on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, please visit its website: www.apgaw.org. For the latest on my work in Crawley and in Westminster, please visit www.henrysmith.info/news