A leading animal charity has urged the Government to be “proactive and ambitious” in tackling welfare challenges as its 200^th anniversary was marked in Parliament.

A debate commemorating the foundation of the RSPCA, held in Westminster Hall on 9 October, heard calls for action on issues ranging from kitten and puppy smuggling to firework controls.

During the session, Defra minister Daniel Zeichner reiterated Labour’s pre-election commitment to deliver “the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation”.

And RSPCA officials hope that an anticipated action plan will be a first step towards that aspiration.

‘Proactive and ambitious’

Harriet Main, from the charity’s public affairs unit, said: “There’s still so much we need to achieve for animals – and as we confront these challenges, we hope the new UK Government will be proactive and ambitious towards our fellow living creatures.”

In her opening speech to the debate, Labour MP Ruth Jones warned that trends such as extreme breeding were likely to continue without new, and tougher, regulations.

She said: “Under the Animal Welfare Act licensing conditions, it is illegal to breed an animal if its breed conformation causes welfare problems.

“But the wording is vague and has never been used to stop breeding animals that have welfare problems once they are born.

“The RSPCA hopes to see the Government clarify that point soon, perhaps as part of an animal welfare strategy.”

Devolved administrations

Fellow Labour MP Gill Furniss described action to ban kitten and puppy smuggling as “long overdue”, while the DUP’s Jim Shannon urged Defra to work with the devolved administrations, particularly DAERA in Northern Ireland, to address the issue.

Shadow minister Robbie Moore also urged Labour to continue his party’s previous efforts to address the problem of livestock worrying and questioned whether tighter controls should be introduced around the use of fireworks.

But former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron argued the Conservatives had committed a “terrible waste” by only delivering some parts of the welfare bill they had proposed in their 2019 election manifesto.