A SYSTEM of financial penalties of up to £5,000 for animal health and welfare offences has cleared the Commons.

The Animals (Penalty Notices) Bill cleared parliamentary hurdles as it received an unopposed third reading following support from across the House of Commons on Friday.

Conservative Andrew Rosindell told MPs a new system of fines to deter animal abuse will “make a real difference to the lives of animals and help promote greater understanding of welfare”.

The Bill will allow penalty notices of up to £5,000 to be issued by enforcement agencies to animal keepers not complying with the rules.

Opening the third reading debate, Mr Rosindell paid tribute to Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery last year, claiming he was “the greatest champion of animal welfare of any member of Parliament”.

The MP for Romford said: “He (Sir David Amess) shared all of my views on animal welfare and he was the greatest champion of animal welfare of any member of Parliament. He dedicated his life to that.

“We think of David today, as the first day with a new member of Parliament for Southend West and we wish her all the success as David’s successor.

"But no-one could replace David. He was unique and we think of him all the time.”

Mr Rosindell said Sir David’s campaigning inspired “so many others to continue the fight for strengthened protection for animals”, adding: “It has been an honour to have the opportunity to introduce a Bill that will, I believe, make a real difference to the lives of animals and help promote greater understanding of welfare.

“This Bill will directly benefit the health and welfare of this country’s farmed and kept animals, and also increase accountability when our country’s biosecurity is put at risk.

“This Bill introduces enabling powers so we can then apply penalty notices to the appropriate offences. My Bill establishes the framework crucial to introducing these penalties through statutory instrument.

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“Penalty notices will bolster our existing enforcement measures and give enforcement authorities more options to influence positive behaviour when it comes to caring for our farmed and kept animals, including companion animals, and zoo animals.”

Speaking in support of the Bill, Conservative MP Siobhan Baillie (Stroud) said issuing fines for animal cruelty will relieve “pressures on our courts”.

She said: “If we rely on prosecutions, the police and the court and the delay – and we know the pressures on our courts at the moment – it won’t be enough, but it also won’t be a deterrent for people that may cause problems for our animals and be cruel to them.

“This Bill will speed up the penalties for issues relating to animals and should act as a deterrent, as I said, and I think we should be focused on preventative action and early intervention.”

Confirming Government support, environment minister Victoria Prentis said the Bill is “just one of a series of welfare reforms being supported by the Government, building on our action plan for animal welfare”.

She went on: “Penalty notices will be an important tool and encouraging animal keepers to follow the rules and discourage those who break them from committing more serious offences. The Bill had its committee stage on December 8. It introduces a new financial penalty system and gives us tools that we can use against those who commit offences against animals.

“We won’t tolerate threats to the health and welfare of animals, the quality of our animal products or the biosecurity of our nation.”

The Bill will undergo further scrutiny in the Lords as it makes progress to becoming law.