Scotland is a nation of animal lovers and we take the welfare of our pets, animals and livestock very seriously. The SNP are committed to protecting the welfare of animals and will continue to legislate to improve the welfare of animals.
In its Programme for Government the Scottish Government committed to establishing an Animal Welfare Commission to provide expert advice on the welfare of domesticated and wild animals in Scotland. Work is now underway to establish that Commission with my SNP colleagues in the Scottish Parliament speaking on this matter in January.
The Scottish SPCA’s impressive Operation Delphin is a success story of a partnership with the ferry operator Stena Line, Police Scotland and HMRC that has been set up to fight the illegal trade.
The SNP welcomed the UK Government’s Ivory Bill and will press the UK Government to ensure that this Bill does indeed to a properly enforced total ban on ivory sales. The SNP also fully supports the Animal Welfare Bill currently going through the UK Parliament.
Given there is also a significant body of European Union legislation on animal welfare, the SNP will also be working to ensure that the government ensures the protections that this offers are maintained and that there is no lapse in standards in this area as the UK leaves the European Union.
