This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Make glue traps illegal within the UK
Make it illegal for both glue traps to be sold and used within the UK to stop the suffering of animals.
More details
Glue traps are used commonly to capture wildlife and unwanted pests. Glue traps are extremely inhumane and it’s not just vermin that get caught on these traps. Animals can suffer for days whilst stuck to this trap leading to starvation and dehydration and some animals even chew their own limbs off to escape. This is a painful and torturous way to capture and get rid of animals and many animals suffer unnecessarily.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 21 April 2021
The Government is aware of concerns around the use of glue traps and we are engaging with key stakeholders on this issue.
Read the response in full
There are growing calls for a ban on the use of glue traps, which can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals. It is an issue we are looking at very closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world. Anyone using glue traps has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to act within the law to ensure their activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering.
At present, the use of glue traps is a lawful method of pest control for mammals (unless specially protected) in England. We have developed a code of practice for the humane use of glue traps, which is the legal responsibility of the pest controller. The code of practice states that glue boards should be inspected within 12 hours of placing and revisited at a minimum of every 12 hours.
The Government does not monitor operators of glue traps: the onus is on operators to act within the law. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it remains the responsibility of the pest controller to deal with any animals trapped on the board. The Act requires that caught animals must not be subjected to unnecessary suffering and should be dispatched humanely as soon as they are discovered. All other options for pest control should have been considered and found to have failed, or to be inappropriate, before the use of glue traps/sticky boards is implemented.
If any person believes an individual is using illegal methods of pest control or inflicting unnecessary suffering on animals, the matter should be reported to the police. It would be for the courts to decide whether the method of entrapment caused any suffering and if so, if this was unnecessary, in any particular case that was brought before them. The current penalty for causing unnecessary suffering to animals under the Animal Welfare Act is six months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.
We continue to look at this matter closely and would reiterate that the most effective long-term solutions for pest control are preventative and deterrent strategies, such as removing or proofing food and shelter sources.
Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Related activity
Government announces plans for new animal welfare laws
As part of the Queen's Speech on Tuesday 11th May, the Government announced that it plans to introduce new laws to protect and promote the highest standards of animal welfare in the UK.
The Government's proposals are set out in a new Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which was published this week. Its proposals focus on improving the welfare of pets and farmed animals, and protecting wild animals in the UK and animals exported or found outside the UK.
The Government intends to introduce three new Bills into Parliament to make these changes - the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, the Kept Animals Bill, and the Animals Abroad Bill. These Bills will be published in due course.
Read more about the Government's plans here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-lead-the-way-on-animal-welfare-through-flagship-new-action-plan
Read the Queen's Speech background briefing notes for more information on the Government's proposed Bills:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/queens-speech-2021-background-briefing-notes
What is the Queen's Speech?
The Queen's Speech is the speech that the Queen reads out in the House of Lords Chamber on the occasion of the State Opening of Parliament.
It's written by the Government and sets out the programme of Bills - new laws, and changes to existing laws - that the Government intends to put forward in this new Parliamentary session. A session of Parliament usually lasts around one year.
Once the Government puts forward a Bill in Parliament, Parliament then debates the Government's proposal and decides whether to adopt the changes to the law set out in the Bill.
MPs debate bill to make certain uses of glue traps an offence
On 19 November, MPs debated a Private Member's bill which seeks to make certain uses of glue traps an offence.
The bill would make it an offence to set a glue trap in England for the purpose of catching a rodent, or to set a glue trap in England in a manner which gives rise to a risk that a rodent will become caught in the glue trap.
This bill was introduced by Jane Stevenson MP.
Watch the debate here: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5d53f520-e438-452f-afb5-42240085d634?in=12:41:15
Read the transcript of the debate here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-11-19/debates/C2D5BE0F-E9D9-4B18-822B-57D3C2E1C477/GlueTraps(Offences)Bill
Read more about the bill and stay up to date on its progress: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2909
What is a Private Member's bill?
Private Members' bills are public bills introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers. As with other public bills their purpose is to change the law. Only a minority of Private Members' bills become law but, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly.
Find out more about how Private Member's bills work: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/bills/private-members/
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Find out how to get involved in the work of the UK Parliament: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/
Bill to make some uses of glue traps an offence agreed by House of Commons
On 4 February, MPs approved a Bill which seeks to make certain uses of glue traps an offence. This means the Bill has completed its stages in the House of Commons, and now goes to the House of Lords. The Bill must be approved by both Houses before it can become law.
Watch the debate on 4 February:
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/94b9800a-b74c-4e58-9241-f9344b220291?in=11:04:35
Read the transcript of the debate:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-02-04/debates/DD61B7EC-C399-4012-A52D-20093A7BCE0E/GlueTraps(Offences)Bill
Next steps
The Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 7 February, and is now awaiting a date for its Second Reading debate. This will be the first opportunity for members of the House of Lords to debate the Bill's key principles and to flag up any concerns or specific areas where they think changes are needed.
Stay up to date on the Bill's progress here:
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2909/stages
Find out more about the stages a Bill must go through in order to become law here:
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/passage-bill/
Find out more about the Glue Traps (Offences) Bill
The Glue Traps (Offences) Bill would make it an offence to set a glue trap in England for the purpose of catching a rodent, or to set a glue trap in England in a manner which gives rise to a risk that a rodent will become caught in the glue trap.
Read more about the Bill:
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2909
The Bill is a Private Member's Bill, and was introduced in the House of Commons by Jane Stevenson MP. The Bill will be sponsored in the House of Lords by Baroness Fookes.
Find out more about Private Member's Bills:
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/bills/private-members/