{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions.json?page=2&q=animals&state=with_response","first":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions.json?q=animals&state=with_response","last":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions.json?page=2&q=animals&state=with_response","next":null,"prev":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions.json?q=animals&state=with_response"},"data":[{"type":"petition","id":706302,"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/706302.json"},"attributes":{"action":"End the use of cages and crates for all farmed animals","background":"We think the UK Government must ban all cages for laying hens as soon as possible.\r\n\r\nWe think it should also ban the use of all cage and crates for all farmed animals including:\r\n• farrowing crates for sows\r\n• individual calf pens\r\n• cages for other birds, including partridges, pheasants and quail","additional_details":"Every year in the UK, millions of farmed animals experience huge suffering confined in cages. From millions of laying hens unable to express their natural behaviours to mother pigs nursing their piglets confined in narrow crates, to calves, quail and game birds.","committee_note":"","state":"closed","signature_count":108277,"created_at":"2024-11-29T09:07:55.158Z","updated_at":"2026-02-18T10:24:31.362Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2025-01-24T11:23:12.221Z","closed_at":"2025-07-24T22:59:59.999Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2024-11-29T13:23:40.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":"2025-01-24T15:42:00.000Z","government_response_at":"2025-02-19T14:01:14.825Z","debate_threshold_reached_at":"2025-04-22T16:05:40.000Z","debate_scheduled_on":"2025-05-23","scheduled_debate_date":"2025-06-16","debate_outcome_at":"2025-06-17T14:25:14.913Z","creator_name":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":{"responded_on":"2025-02-17","summary":"This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The use of cages and crates is an issue we are now considering very carefully.","details":"The Government is aware of the strong public feeling on keeping farm animals in cages and the recent campaigns urging the Government to publish consultations on phasing out the use of enriched ‘colony’ cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue we are currently considering very carefully. \n\nFor laying hens, we are encouraged that the sector is moving away from the use of enriched ‘colony’ cages to free-range and barn production. The transition to cage free systems is being supported by this Government through grants for laying hen and pullet farmers in England with flocks of 1,000 birds or more, to refurbish or replace existing housing including those looking to make the transition from colony cages to high-welfare non-cage systems.\n\nThis transition has also been supported by the major supermarkets - who have pledged to stop selling shell eggs from hens kept in colony cages by the end of 2025 - with some retailers also extending their 2025 pledge to processed egg, such as powdered or liquid. This shift by retailers has accelerated the move away from colony cage systems. Eggs produced from hens in colony cage systems accounted for just over 44% of the total egg throughput in the UK in 2018, but by the end of 2024, this had reduced to 20%. Free-range eggs now account for 69% of the total egg throughput in the UK. \n\nWe already have a significant outdoor pig sector: 50% of the national sow breeding herd give birth freely on outdoor units, with no option for confinement. The statutory Welfare Code of Practice for Pigs states that the aim is for farrowing crates to no longer be necessary and for any new system to protect the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets - (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pigs-on-farm-welfare).  \n\nAs with cages for laying hens, ending the use of farrowing crates is an issue that not only affects the UK industry, but is also something that our European trading partners are also considering and, as with any change to our farming systems, we need to carefully consider the implications for trade. When considering changes to welfare standards at home, it is crucial that we consider the potential for simply moving low-welfare production overseas. Replacing a UK egg with an imported caged egg would be bad for the consumer, bad for producers, and bad for animal welfare.\n\nThe Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, Schedule 6, Paragraph 1, sets down requirements that apply to the accommodation of calves confined for rearing and fattening. It states that: “No calf may be confined in an individual stall or pen after the age of eight weeks unless a veterinary surgeon certifies that its health or behaviour requires it to be isolated in order to receive treatment”. In addition, the regulation requires the hutches to be of a specified size and individual stalls or pens (except for those isolating sick animals) must have perforated walls which allow calves to have direct visual and tactile contact with other calves. \n\nWe are pleased that the industry has already been moving towards pair housing of young calves and some farm assurance schemes require calves to be housed in groups or pairs from less than 8 weeks of age.\n\nDefra’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds as required by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 - (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-gamebirds-reared-for-sporting-purposes). It recommends that barren cages for breeding pheasants and small barren cages for breeding partridges should not be used, and that any system should be appropriately enriched.  \n\nThe UK is rightly proud of the high animal welfare standards that underpin our high-quality British produce, and we will work to ensure we address low confidence and provide stability for the farming sector, while delivering high standards of farm animal welfare. \n\nDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","created_at":"2025-02-19T14:01:14.820Z","updated_at":"2025-02-19T14:06:16.895Z"},"debate":{"debated_on":"2025-06-16","transcript_url":"https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-06-16/debates/6FFB5159-BC54-4321-BDC5-CB64FF9BF2E2/FarmedAnimalsCagesAndCrates","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q29dXKFMozo","debate_pack_url":"https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0121/","public_engagement_url":"","debate_summary_url":"","overview":""},"departments":[{"acronym":"DEFRA","name":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs"}],"topics":[]}},{"type":"petition","id":700262,"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700262.json"},"attributes":{"action":"Ban animal testing for human products and medicines","background":"We demand that the Government bans the use of animal testing/experiments for human medicines and products. This means that animal testing could not be used for new drugs, and other scientific methods would need to be used. We believe modern science can replace animal experiments.","additional_details":"Stop killing animals in the name of science. Why test human drugs on rats and dogs? We believe the public is scandalised by the welfare of research animals. Compel all research to be species-specific, evidence based and using modern science. Use modern scientific methods for 100% of the pre-clinical and clinical trial process.","committee_note":"","state":"closed","signature_count":16302,"created_at":"2024-11-01T09:13:56.546Z","updated_at":"2025-11-03T10:55:22.195Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2024-11-19T11:12:24.130Z","closed_at":"2025-05-19T22:59:59.999Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2024-11-01T09:47:30.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":"2025-01-29T11:44:50.000Z","government_response_at":"2025-02-11T08:37:19.219Z","debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":{"responded_on":"2025-02-10","summary":"The government does not agree to the proposed ban. The UK still requires data from animal testing to ensure the safety of medicines and products before testing in humans.","details":"While the use of animals in science, including for human medicines, generates significant debate, the carefully regulated use of animals in scientific research currently remains necessary to protect humans and the wider environment. The Government therefore does not agree to ban the use of animal testing/experiments for human medicines and products.\n\nThe manifesto committed the Government to partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing. This is a long-term goal, and it will need further scientific and technical advancement and validation to reach this point. The use of animals still remains important for understanding how biological systems work, in the development of safe new medicines, treatments and technologies, and in testing chemicals. It protects humans and animals from harm and supports the safety and sustainability of our environment.\n\nIn line with our commitment to supporting the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science, the Government actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). We also work to ensure that the UK continues to have a robust regulatory system for licensing animal studies and enforcing legal standards.\n\nThe Government will take steps to place the UK at the forefront of an alternative methods revolution and we believe that advances in a number of areas make the prospects for change much better than they have ever been. We are supporting and accelerating advances in biomedical science and technologies to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research and importantly to avoid some of the scientific limitations of animal models of human diseases. This includes stem cell research, cell culture systems that mimic the function of human organs, imaging and new computer modelling and AI techniques based on very large data sets. DSIT, Home Office and DEFRA ministers have agreed to publish an alternative methods strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods and the phasing out of animal testing. We expect to publish this strategy later this year.\n\nAlthough much research can be done without using animals, there are still purposes where use of live animals is essential, as the complexity of whole biological systems  cannot be reliably replicated using validated alternative methodologies. Animal testing is therefore required by all global medicines regulators, including the UK’s Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), to protect human health and safety. We are working with regulators to see how advances in technology can and will reduce use and phase out use in some areas.\n\nThe UK has the highest welfare score in the G7 according to the world Animal Protection Index and some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and the use of animals in science is highly regulated. All establishments are required to have dedicated individuals, including veterinary surgeons with legal responsibilities for the care and welfare of animals, and an ethical review body, which reviews any proposals for the use of animals and promotes the 3Rs of animal use. The UK Home Office regulator conducts an integrated assessment of the compliance of all licence holders including on-site inspections. The Government has published and enforces standards for the care and accommodation of all animals bred, supplied or used for scientific purposes.\n\nThe MHRA requires testing on a suitable animal model by developers seeking regulatory approval, in the development of certain new medicines. The MHRA aligns with international regulatory bodies and the pharmaceutical industry in this position. It should be noted that the MHRA does not require all medicines to be tested, by developers, on two species as some drugs lack their primary mode of action in animal species other than primates. However, most drugs do retain their activity in animal species and safety testing in a second species is therefore required for these drugs, with dogs being one of the species that can be used. The MHRA does not itself use dogs in scientific procedures. The Government expects a gradual reduction and adaptation in the use of animals in this context, with some purposes being phased out entirely.\n\nThe UK has a world leading reputation for the delivery of the 3Rs. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides core funding for the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs), which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research. Since it was established, the NC3Rs has invested £89.3 million in research grants and almost £34 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges innovation scheme to UK and EU-based institutions.\n\nDepartment for Science, Innovation and Technology","created_at":"2025-02-11T08:37:19.216Z","updated_at":"2025-02-11T08:38:35.525Z"},"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"SIT","name":"Department for Science, Innovation and Technology","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology"}],"topics":[]}},{"type":"petition","id":700557,"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700557.json"},"attributes":{"action":"Ban non-stun slaughter in the UK","background":"In modern society, we believe more consideration needs to be given to animal welfare and how livestock is treated and culled.\r\n\r\nWe believe non-stun slaughter is barbaric and doesn't fit in with our culture and modern-day values and should be banned, as some EU nations have done.","additional_details":"In a landmark case, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals without prior stunning does not violate the ECHR.\r\n\r\nThe Court considered that the protection of public morals, to which Article 9 of the Convention referred was not indifferent to the living environment of individuals covered by its protection and including animals.","committee_note":"","state":"closed","signature_count":109018,"created_at":"2024-11-03T11:50:06.631Z","updated_at":"2026-04-27T10:00:26.164Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2024-11-21T13:57:34.071Z","closed_at":"2025-05-21T22:59:59.999Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2024-11-04T16:51:50.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":"2024-12-08T09:11:50.000Z","government_response_at":"2025-01-10T14:30:23.976Z","debate_threshold_reached_at":"2025-05-04T15:32:00.000Z","debate_scheduled_on":"2025-05-23","scheduled_debate_date":"2025-06-09","debate_outcome_at":"2025-06-10T09:10:01.540Z","creator_name":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":{"responded_on":"2025-01-10","summary":"The Government would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter. However, we respect the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.","details":"The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but it respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.\n\nThe ‘Demonstration of Life Protocol’, an industry-led initiative supported by the Government, provides assurance for Muslim consumers that stunning is compatible with halal slaughter requirements, while protecting the welfare of the animals involved. Therefore, a significant proportion of halal meat comes from animals that are stunned before slaughter.\n\nLegislation sets out the main requirements to protect the welfare of animals at slaughter. There are additional rules that apply when animals are slaughtered without stunning to ensure that animals are spared avoidable pain, suffering, or distress during the slaughter process. Official Veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency are present in all approved slaughterhouses to monitor and enforce these animal welfare requirements.\n\nDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","created_at":"2025-01-10T14:30:23.972Z","updated_at":"2025-01-10T14:30:23.972Z"},"debate":{"debated_on":"2025-06-09","transcript_url":"https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-06-09/debates/27E94862-93C7-4D29-B0DA-F77F92D14161/Non-StunSlaughterOfAnimals","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/live/R7Anv9XBSPE","debate_pack_url":"https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0117/","public_engagement_url":"","debate_summary_url":"","overview":""},"departments":[{"acronym":"DEFRA","name":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs"}],"topics":[]}},{"type":"petition","id":700013,"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700013.json"},"attributes":{"action":"Limit the sale and use of Fireworks to licence holders only","background":"Fireworks killed our mum, Josephine Smith.\r\nHer home was attacked using fireworks. We believe the use of fireworks after sale to the public cannot be policed.\r\nWe think all displays should be licensed and sales limited to licence holders only.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n","additional_details":"Improved regulations on the sale and use of fireworks are backed by a wide range of MPs, charities and organisations and has huge public support.\r\n\r\nThe distress and trauma caused is very well known to the medical profession, emergency services, human and animal welfare groups AND the Government.\r\n\r\nWE are asking the new government not to ignore the problem. It’s time to put the welfare of the vulnerable first.\r\n","committee_note":"","state":"closed","signature_count":87527,"created_at":"2024-10-30T15:10:03.188Z","updated_at":"2025-12-10T09:11:23.278Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2024-11-05T13:26:05.473Z","closed_at":"2025-05-05T22:59:59.999Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2024-10-30T15:14:00.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":"2024-11-06T18:16:50.000Z","government_response_at":"2024-12-09T10:43:51.883Z","debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":"2024-11-27","scheduled_debate_date":"2024-12-09","debate_outcome_at":"2024-12-10T12:45:09.379Z","creator_name":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":{"responded_on":"2024-12-09","summary":"Most people use fireworks in a responsible and safe manner, with laws in place to address misuse. The Government intends to engage with stakeholders to gather evidence on the impact of fireworks.","details":"The Government takes the misuse of fireworks issues seriously. Where local issues are identified, councils and the police have powers to protect the public from misuse and harm. Misuse of fireworks and illegal possession offenses are subject to an unlimited fine and/or six months in prison.\n\nTackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.  We understand that anti-social behaviour causes great harm and misery to our communities, and, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious offending.   \nThe police, local authorities and other local agencies have a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.   It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.  \nThe Government is examining the detail of existing positions to decide if and where policy changes may be needed.  The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in decisions on how we proceed in relation to the regulation of fireworks. \n\nTo inform any future decisions the Government intends to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities shortly after fireworks season to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks.\nWhile we consider the potential of future regulatory changes, there are steps we can take now to ensure people are able to enjoy fireworks responsibly. To ensure people use fireworks in a safe and considerate manner the Government launched a launch a fireworks campaign for the fireworks season to provide guidance on minimising the impacts of fireworks on animal welfare and encouraging responsible use.  This supplements existing guidance from Government and other organisations that is available to help people to use fireworks safely and appropriately.\n\nDepartment for Business and Trade","created_at":"2024-12-09T10:43:51.880Z","updated_at":"2024-12-09T10:43:51.880Z"},"debate":{"debated_on":"2024-12-09","transcript_url":"https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-12-09/debates/CCC2EF11-D537-40A7-9D1F-3451071819B5/details","video_url":"https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/8dd62bdb-8421-47f7-9db6-efd1f5c07fde","debate_pack_url":"https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2024-0152/","public_engagement_url":"","debate_summary_url":"","overview":""},"departments":[{"acronym":"BT","name":"Department for Business and Trade","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-and-trade"}],"topics":[]}}]}