More than 38,000 pubs are set to benefit from six-month freeze to alcohol duty from today
The great British pub receives further boost from today as a six-month alcohol duty freeze to 1 August 2024 takes effect.
This tax saving will help support around 38,175 pubs to face rising costs.
Duty freeze comes in addition to £4.3 billion in business rates cuts and duty protection for pints sold in pubs.
Pubs and hospitality venues have received a tax saving today, 1 February 2024, as a six-month alcohol duty freeze takes effect.
British pubs are a significant part of the fabric of communities across the UK and a further freeze on alcohol duty will help to support the sector while the government continues to bring down inflation while driving growth and investment.
This will impact around 38,175 pubs across the country and was announced as part of a multi-billion support package by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn Statement which also included £4.3 billion business rates relief.
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Gareth Davies, said: “The great British pub remains a critical part of communities across the country, that’s why we’re helping to keep costs low by freezing alcohol duty, reducing business rates, and supporting on energy costs.
“Our decisive action has also helped to more than halve inflation last year, protecting pubs and other businesses from the higher costs they would have otherwise faced.
“And we need to stick to our plan, so we can deliver the long-term change our country needs to deliver a brighter future for Britain, and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.”
The six-month duty freeze, from 1 February to 1 August 2024, follows the biggest reform of alcohol duties taking effect last August, where, for the first time in over 140 years the UK’s alcohol duty system simplified so the duty paid reflects the amount of alcohol in it.
These reforms cut duty on pints in pubs by up to 11p when sold in supermarkets. Not increasing alcohol duty in line with inflation has now saved a further 3p to the duty on a typical pint of beer, 2p to a pint of cider, 4p to a glass of whisky, or 18p to a bottle of wine.
Welcoming the decision by the Chancellor to freeze alcohol duty, Nuno Teles, Managing Director, Diageo Great Britain, said: “By freezing duty until August, HM Treasury has listened to the industry’s plea for support and decided to back our homegrown sector, that employs so many people across the UK, and we urge the Chancellor to continue to back pub-goers, hospitality owners and producers.
Andy Slee, Chief Executive of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) said: “While trading has been tough for pubs and independent breweries, the government’s continued support is very welcome. The beer duty freeze for six months provides some certainty for brewers as the new alcohol duty system is embedded.
“As part of this, the government introduced Draught Relief allowing beer destined for the pub to have a lower rate – and already there are signs that this is working to support pubs.”
The duty freeze formed part of a multi-billion pound support package for the alcohol duty industry announced at the Autumn Statement.
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure business rates relief was extended for a fifth year to 2024-25. This means around 230,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties will receive 75% relief, up to a cap of £110,000 per business, on their business rates bills from the 2024-25 tax year.
This is a tax cut worth nearly £2.4 billion and comes on top of one third of business properties being taken out of paying business rates completely thanks to other government reliefs.
The small business multiplier for business rates was also frozen for a fourth consecutive year, protecting over a million ratepayers from an inflation increase in their bills.
August 2023’s ‘historical’ alcohol duty reforms saved on taxes in three ways:
Firstly, on draught drinks in the pub for all draught products below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) through increasing Draught Relief. This is part of this government’s Brexit Pubs Guarantee commitment for every pint in every pub to pay less duty than their supermarket equivalent.
Secondly, tax was cut on lots of popular drinks in shops like sparkling wines and ready-made drinks.
Finally, the new Small Producer Relief was announced to help small businesses and start-ups create new drinks, innovate and grow.
2022 saw UK temperatures soar to above 40°C for the first time, while 2023 was the world’s hottest year on record. Westminster’s Environmental Audit Committee has raised concerns over the UK’s lack of preparedness in its report on ‘Heat resilience and sustainable cooling’.
The “silent killer” of heatwaves could claim up to 10,000 lives annually in the UK without concerted action, with the most vulnerable at greatest risk. Physical and mental health can be severely impacted: the Committee heard that suicide risk is twice as high in the UK when the temperature was 32°C rather than 22°C.
Work-related injuries also increase, and interrupted sleep patterns due to high temperatures can cost the UK economy £60bn a year, or 1.5% to 2% of GDP.
The social and economic case for accelerating heat adaptation measures in the UK is clear-cut, and EAC recommends measures around prioritising passive cooling – that do not involve expending energy – and clear Government messaging on the risks of heat events, underpinned by a national strategy on heat resilience.
Nature based solutions offer important passive cooling measures and additional co-benefits. Parks, trees, water bodies and green infrastructure – such as green roofs – can have significant cooling effects and also help biodiversity and air quality.
The Government must adopt a range of these measures, particularly in areas where the ‘urban heat island’ effect typically raises temperatures: for example, London can be up to 8°C warmer than surrounding rural areas.
Over 4.6 million English homes experience summertime overheating, and with 80% of homes that will exist in 2050 having already been built, retrofitting for net zero and thermal comfort will be needed on a vast scale.
Existing initiatives on insulation and energy efficiency should be developed into a national retrofit programme which should be delivered by local authorities, supported by long term funding, focusing on insulation and ventilation, as well as passive measures, above active cooling mechanisms.
Fans may also have a role, and the Government should consider amending Building Regulations to encourage the use of ceiling fans. The Government must urgently bring forward proposals to encourage access to low-cost finance for householders to retrofit passive cooling measures.
Some of the passive measures EAC heard about included installing external shutters, which could reduce incidences of heat mortality by around 40%, and coating the roofs of buildings with reflective white paint.
Passive cooling measures would reduce the need for energy intensive air conditioning units, which in 2022 and 2023 led to a surge in demand for electricity causing coal fired power stations to fire up once more. A repeat of this surge risks a vicious cycle of increased greenhouse gas emissions that in turn make the world even hotter. Action to increase the energy efficiency of air conditioners is therefore also required.
Any national retrofit programme must be well-funded but also address concerns of a “net zero tradespeople crisis” amid concerns that by 2030, there will be a shortfall of 250,000 people in suitable roles.
Information on coping with extreme heat does not always appear to be reaching those in need. Repeating calls the predecessor Committee made in its 2018 Heatwaves report, EAC urges the Government to launch a public information campaign on the developing threat of heatwaves and their significant impact on human health and activities.
The Met Office should trial naming heatwaves to boost public recognition of the threat to health and wellbeing in the same way as named storms. Humidity levels should also be incorporated into weather forecasts and heat-health alerts.
At COP28, the UK signed the Global Cooling Pledge, which saw nations commit to reduce cooling related emissions by 68% from 2023 by 2050. EAC hopes its report assists the Government’s production of a national cooling action plan as the pledge calls for, and in response to its report, the Government should set out its timetable for this plan.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: “The world is heating up, and in the coming year we may exceed an increase of over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels: breaking a key ambition of the Paris Agreement. The record temperatures we are seeing in UK summers, triggered by climate change, pose significant risks to health and wellbeing, and swift action must now be taken to adapt to the UK’s changing climate.
“Projections suggest that without action, there could be 10,000 UK heat-related deaths annually. High temperatures are costing the UK economy £60 billion a year: so measures to address the risks from overheating are simply a no-brainer.
“There are a number of relatively simple ways to mitigate overheating risk, such as installing shutters, increasing the size of green spaces and using reflective paint on roofs. Yet none of these measures are being rolled out at scale. There is now a real opportunity to focus on these measures in tandem with improving the energy efficiency of the country’s homes in a new national retrofit programme.
“Tackling overheating at scale will not be a quick or easy undertaking. Clear collaboration between Government departments and local authorities is necessary, supported by a clear messaging campaign and a pipeline of funding and skilled retrofitters to undertake the work needed.
“Existing Government policy fails to grasp the urgency of the task at hand. A Minister with oversight on heat resilience must be appointed to oversee this important work.”
Dr Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford, who acted as Specialist Adviser for the EAC’s inquiry, said: “We were delighted to partner with the EAC for this timely and important inquiry.
“Sustainable cooling has rightly been pushed up the global agenda in recent years as temperatures rise around the world. But now that we recognise the problems from extreme heat, it is imperative we commit to the solutions.
“Our hope is that this report helps the UK take action to meet its Global Cooling Pledge commitments and, most importantly, helps to save lives and protect people’s wellbeing while reducing emissions from cooling.”
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), working with law enforcement partners, seized more than 15.5 million doses of illegally traded medicines with a street value of more than £30 million during 2023.
his includes more than two million doses seized during Operation Pangea, the international initiative of global enforcement partners that targets the illegal internet trade in medical products.
Last year’s seizures included prescription-only anti-anxiety medicines, opioids and sleeping pills and falsified and unlicensed lifestyle products such as erectile dysfunction and hair loss medications, as well as a small number of aesthetic products such as Botox and semaglutide-containing ‘weight loss’ products.
Working with partners, the MHRA also disrupted more than 12,000 websites illegally selling medical products to the public and shut down almost 3,000 social media profiles during the year.
The MHRA works with many online marketplaces, social media platforms and technology providers, as well as a wide range of law enforcement agencies at home and abroad to investigate and remove potentially harmful medical products that are offered illegally to the public.
Support and advice provided by the MHRA to online marketplaces resulted in the successful removal of more than half a million unregulated prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and medical devices before they could even be offered for sale to the public.
Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director (Criminal Enforcement), said: Public safety is our number one priority. Our Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to prevent, detect and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices, to protect people and defeat this harmful trade.
“This year, working with partners across public and private sectors, our efforts have led to more medicines seizures than ever, custodial sentences for offenders, the removal of criminal profits and considerable success in disrupting the trade online.
“We would urge everyone to think very carefully before buying medicines they see online and to take the necessary steps to assure themselves the seller is legitimate. Buying powerful medicines from illegitimate sellers poses a real and immediate danger to your health, as you have no idea what they might actually contain.
“If you suspect that you have seen illegal products being sold online, you can help us take action by reporting your concerns through our Yellow Card scheme.
The dangers of unlicensed medicines
If a medicine is unlicensed, it will not have been assessed by the MHRA for its safety, effectiveness or the quality of its manufacturing and distribution processes. Anyone buying such a product cannot be sure what it contains or whether it will cause them harm.
In the courts
The sale of medicines and medical devices is strictly controlled in the UK, with certain products only permitted for sale through registered pharmacies or supplied on prescription from a qualified healthcare professional.
Last year, six MHRA investigations resulted in significant custodial sentences for many of those convicted. These prosecutions followed detailed investigations, the seizure of millions of doses of medicines and the removal of hundreds of thousands of pounds of criminal profits.
MHRA safety advice when buying medicines online
Be careful when buying medicines online
Medicines are not ordinary consumer goods and their sale and supply is tightly controlled. Websites operating outside the legal supply chain may seem tempting, for example, offering a prescription medicine without a prescription. Not only are these sites breaking the law – they are putting your health at risk.
Criminals use a variety of techniques to sell medicines illegally online. Some are sold using websites designed to look like legitimate pharmacies or online retailers, while others might be advertised via online marketplaces or social media sites.
Visit the #FakeMeds website for tools and resources to help people purchase medicines or medical devices safely online.
Anyone who suspects that their product is fake is encouraged to report it directly to the Yellow Card scheme, through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.
Millions of UK workers see boost in take home pay today as cut to National Insurance shows in January’s payslip as part of plan to reward work and boost growth
Progress made on economy means government is able to cut taxes for hard working people
Saving worth £450 for an average worker earning £35,400 a year
Millions of workers are going to start seeing a boost to their take home pay today as January’s pay comes into bank accounts across the UK.
With millions of monthly earners getting paid today [Wednesday 31 January 2024], a household with two average earners will be starting to see a nearly £1,000 a year benefit from the Chancellor’s record personal tax cut.
Thanks to the progress made against its economic priorities, the government announced it will cut National Insurance by 2p from 12% to 10% at the Autumn Statement and made sure it took effect within weeks of the announcement, as part of its plan to reward work and grow the economy. The change is a more than 15% reduction in National Insurance, saving £450 this year for the average salaried worker on £35,400.
Millions of people working different jobs across hundreds of industries will now be better off. To a pub landlord that’s £418 a year, a bus driver £328, a nurse £527. A teacher will pay £635 less in National Insurance contributions this year.
Today’s historic NICs cut takes effect with the government having faced the legacy of Covid-19, and global instability with war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In the past year, inflation has halved; the economy has recovered more quickly from the pandemic than first thought; and debt is on track to fall. The government is sticking to the plan and is building a stronger economy where hard work is rewarded and ambition and aspiration are celebrated.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:“I never shied away from making the tough decisions needed yesterday to cut taxes today.
“This January pay boost for hard-working Brits is part of our plan to grow the economy and build a brighter future where hard work is always rewarded, relieving pressure on UK workers by putting around £450 back in their pockets.”
The cut means that for those on average salaries, personal taxes would be lower in the UK for single parents with no children than every other G7 country, based on the most recent OECD data. The UK also has the most generous starting allowances for income tax and social security contributions in the G7.
To mark the tax cut, earlier this month HMRC launched an online tool to help people understand how much they could save in National Insurance this year.
The tool uses salary information to give employees personalised estimates of how much they could save because of the government’s changes, and is hosted on the government’s cost of living support website on gov.uk.
The last major cut to the current personal tax system of today’s magnitude was when the National Insurance personal allowance increased from £9,880 to £12,570. This was the largest ever cut to a personal tax starting threshold, allowing working people to hold on to an extra £2,690 free from tax whilst last year taking around 2.2 million people out of paying tax altogether.
The cut to National Insurance combined with above-inflation increases to tax thresholds since 2010 means that the average earner will pay over £1,000 less in personal taxes than they otherwise would have done.
The independent OBR says that, by 2028-29 this tax cut will increase the number of people in employment by 28,000 alongside a substantial economic benefit from those in work increasing their hours which the OBR forecast will be equivalent to 79,000 on a full-time equivalent basis. Overall, the OBR says that by 2028-29 this measure will increase the number of hours worked by new and existing employees by 0.3%, or 94,000 in full-time equivalent terms.
At the Autumn Statement the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the biggest package of tax cuts to be implemented since the 1980s. In addition to today’s action, he announced a National Insurance cut for 2 million self-employed people, which will take effect on 6 April 2024 and is worth £350 for the average self-employed person on £28,200.
He also made full expensing permanent, which at £11 billion per year is the biggest business tax cut in modern British history helping businesses invest for less. Over 200 business leaders told the government that it would have the single most transformational impact on business investment and growth.
The OBR says these two measures will increase the number of people in work and grow the economy.
He also announced the biggest ever increase to the National Living Wage, froze alcohol duty for six months and extended cuts to business rates relief for the high street.
Disposable vapes will be banned in the UK as part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children’s health
Ban on disposable vapes which have driven alarming rise in youth vaping
New powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops so they don’t appeal to children
New law will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, delivering on the Prime Minister’s pledge to create a smokefree generation
Disposable vapes will be banned in the UK as part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children’s health, the Prime Minister has announced today [Monday 29 January] on a visit to a school.
The measure comes as part of the government’s response to its consultation on smoking and vaping, which was launched in October last year.
Recent figures show the number of children using vapes in the past three years has tripled. Use among younger children is also rising, with 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds now using vapes. The long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine contained within them can be highly addictive, with withdrawal sometimes causing anxiety, trouble concentrating and headaches. While vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit, children should never vape.
Disposable vapes have been a key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping, with the proportion of 11 to 17-year-old vapers using disposables increasing almost ninefold in the last two years.
As part of today’s package, new powers will be introduced to restrict flavours which are specifically marketed at children and ensure that manufacturers produce plainer, less visually appealing packaging.
The powers will also allow government to change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them like sweets.
To crack down on underage sales, the government will also bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children. Trading standards officers will be empowered to act ‘on the spot’ to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. This builds on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
Vaping alternatives – such as nicotine pouches – will also be outlawed for children who are increasingly turning to these highly addictive substitutes.
The government has again reiterated its commitment to bring about the first smokefree generation and introduce legislation so children turning fifteen this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco.
Smoking is the UK’s single biggest preventable killer – causing around one in four cancer deaths and leading to 80,000 deaths per year – so stopping young people from ever starting to smoke will protect an entire generation, and future generations, from smoking harms as they grow up.
To help ensure the success of the smokefree generation plan, £30 million new funding a year will be provided to bolster enforcement agencies – including Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Trading Standards – to implement these measures and stamp out opportunities for criminals.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.
“The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.
“As Prime Minister I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term. That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes – which have driven the rise in youth vaping – and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.
“Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term.”
There was overwhelming support among responses to the government’s consultation for a disposable vape ban, with nearly 70% of parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and the general public supportive of the measure.
The government has a duty to protect children’s health, which is why it is taking bold and decisive action on smoking and vaping. This is the responsible thing to do to protect children for generations to come.
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of death in England. Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital with a smoking-related disease. And its costs society £17 billion each year – putting a huge burden on our NHS.
“That’s why we are driving the way forward through our smokefree generation plan, which will prevent our children from starting this dangerous habit.
“The health advice is clear, vapes should only ever be used as a tool to quit smoking. But we are committed to doing more to protect our children from illicit underage vaping, and by banning disposable vapes we’re preventing children from becoming hooked for life.”
Vapes should only be used by adults as a tool to quit smoking. They contribute to an extra 50,000-70,000 smoking quits a year in England.
As part of the government’s Swap to Stop scheme, almost one in five of all adult smokers in England will have access to a vape kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit and improve health outcomes.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “Smoking damages and cuts short lives in extraordinary numbers.
“Stillbirths, cancer, asthma, dementia, stroke and heart failure – smoking causes disability and death throughout the life course. If passed, this legislation would have a major public health impact across many future generations.”
Health Minister Andrea Leadsom said: “We are in the midst of a worrying rise in young people vaping. I want to stop youth vaping in its tracks – and a ban on disposable vapes is central to that.
“Nicotine is highly addictive – and so it is completely unacceptable that children are getting their hands on these products, many of which are undeniably designed to appeal to young people.
“Along with tougher enforcement measures, we are making sure vapes are aimed at the people they were designed to help – adults who are quitting smoking.”
As well as benefitting children’s health, the ban will have a positive impact on the environment. Five million disposable vapes are thrown away each week, up from 1.3 million from last year. Over a year this is equivalent to the lithium batteries of 5,000 electric vehicles.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Not only are disposable vapes often targeted, unacceptably, at children – they also represent a huge and growing stream of hard-to-recycle waste, with nearly 5 million thrown away every week.
“This historic announcement will be a powerful tool in support of our efforts to crack down on waste and boost recycling, as well as helping to create the first smokefree generation.”
Scotland’s Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Smoking damages lives and kills more than 8,000 people a year in Scotland and is burden on our NHS and social care services. Research also suggests that almost one in five adolescents have tried vapes.
“We want to do more to achieve our goal of being tobacco-free in Scotland by 2034 and after collaborating on the UK-wide consultation, we have worked closely across the four UK nations on next steps and now intend to act on taking forward its recommendations, either on a UK-wide basis or through legislation in the Scottish Parliament.
“I have worked closely with Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater on disposable vapes. These are a threat to both public health and the environment – from litter on our streets, to the risk of fires in waste facilities – that’s why we will act on our Programme for Government commitment and move to ban them.”
Smoking is responsible for one in five deaths – more than 8,000 a year – in Scotland. It causes preventable ill health, is a significant burden on our NHS and social care services, is the leading preventable cause of health inequalities and costs the economy millions each year in lost productivity.
In Scotland, 82.3% supported restrictions on single-use vapes (79.3% UK-wide), and 73.4% favoured an outright ban (68.1% UK-wide).
The 10-week public consultation on ‘Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping’, closed on 6 December.
Over 25,000 responses were analysed, and the government response sets out plans for upcoming legislation which will be introduced in Parliament shortly.
Creating a smokefree generation goes beyond the harm to public health. The trade in illicit cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and other tobacco products has far reaching implications. HMRC estimates that the illicit tobacco trade costs the UK economy around £2.8 billion a year in lost revenue – money that should fund our public services.
Today, HMRC and Border Force will publish a new Illicit Tobacco Strategy, ‘Stubbing Out the Problem’, which:
sets out their continued commitment to reduce the trade in illicit tobacco, with a focus on reducing demand, and to tackle and disrupt organised crime behind the illicit tobacco trade
highlights the cost to the UK in lost tax revenue and the burden to taxpayers, the undercutting of law-abiding businesses, and the funding of wider organised crime through illicit tobacco sales.
There has been widespread support for the ban:
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England: “As Children’s Commissioner, I want all children to grow up healthy and well, which is why I have been calling for disposable vapes to be banned, to protect children and prevent them from becoming addicted.
“I am absolutely delighted that the Government has listened to the appeals that I, and many others, have made to ban disposable vapes. I also welcome the decision to create far tighter restrictions on marketing and flavours of vapes so they aren’t so appealing to children and young people.
“When I asked children a couple of years ago about all aspects of their health and wellbeing, I was shocked and concerned to hear from children as young as 12 who told me that vaping was normalised among their peers – even on school premises. This announcement will help tackle that issue and I know that many children and parents will be extremely relieved.”
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Vice President for Policy, Dr Mike McKean, said: “We’re delighted that the Westminster Government has heard our calls and is rightly prioritising the health and well-being of our children and the planet.
“Bold action was always needed to curb youth vaping and banning disposables is a meaningful step in the right direction. I’m also extremely pleased to see further much needed restrictions on flavours, packaging, and marketing of vapes, which RCPCH has repeatedly called for.
“As a respiratory consultant it is not lost on me that smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and disease in the UK. We know this because we have 60 plus years of research and data on cigarette use on a population level. But the research and data around widespread e-cigarette use is still very much in its infancy. The long-term impacts, especially for children and young people, remain unknown.
“Government must swiftly lay the legislation to ensure it can be fully considered in this Parliament. We look forward to seeing more details about these landmark plans, especially in terms of implementation, enforcement, and monitoring.”
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Community Wellbeing Board said: “We’re delighted that the Government has listened to the longstanding concerns of the LGA and councils and are taking decisive action to ban single-use vapes.
“Disposable vapes are inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright ban remains the most effective solution to this problem.
“Single use vapes blight our streets as litter, are a hazard in our bin lorries, and are expensive and difficult to deal with in our recycling centres. Their colours, flavours and advertising are appealing to children and are a risk to the health of young people.
“We look forward to working with the Government and others to enforce this ban as well as ensure plans for a smokefree generation are a success.”
Henry Gregg, Director of External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “We welcome this robust approach to protecting young people from vaping.
“Disposable vapes, with their pocket money prices and brightly-coloured packaging have contributed to the increase in under-18s taking up vaping, and we support a well thought-out, properly enforced ban on disposable vapes.
“Immediate action to restrict flavours, packaging, and the display of vapes to reduce their appeal and availability to children and non-smokers is also much needed.
“If you’re a smoker and you want to quit tobacco, vaping can be a helpful way to give up smoking. But for children and those who don’t smoke, starting to vape isn’t a good idea, especially if you have a lung condition.
“The plan to create a smoke-free generation is a landmark decision that really shows the Government is putting the health of young people first. It’s one of the most impactful things the Government can do to protect future generations from developing lung conditions caused by smoking.
“Smoking is the biggest cause of lung disease deaths and today’s decision will save thousands of lives. Now these measures must be implemented as quickly as possible, with sufficient funding, to ensure they can be fully enforced.”
Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer, and research shows that vapes are far less harmful than smoking and can help people to quit.
“If this legislation is passed, the UK Government should ensure local smoking cessation services are adequately funded, and those trying to quit are given as much support as they need to help them do so.
“We are also pleased to see that the Government is moving forward with the tobacco age of sale legislation, applying to all tobacco products, taking us one step closer to creating the first smokefree generation.”
Libby Peake, Head of Resource Policy, Green Alliance : “This ban can’t come soon enough, not only for the health of future generations, but also for the health of the planet.
“The government has followed the science, and this decision will have many environmental benefits. Valuable lithium ion batteries will stop going to waste or winding up as litter, along with all the casings that have been blighting our environment for too long.
“This means critical raw materials will be preserved for uses where they’re much needed – like renewable energy. The risk of fire from mishandled batteries will be minimised and dangerous plastic pollution will be prevented.
“This bold move by the government is nothing but good news.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said: “The announcement of a ban on disposable vapes is great news for the environment.
“Our surveys show that disposable vape litter has doubled in the past two years alone and last year more than 16% of the sites we surveyed were blighted by these single-use items, posing a significant risk to wildlife and polluting our streets, parks and beaches.
“An estimated 260 million are thrown away in this country every year, wasting precious scarce resources, including lithium.”
Gavin Graveson, Veolia Senior Executive Vice President, Northern Europe, said: “When faced with an environmental crisis, every product that enters the market should be designed for recyclability.
“Disposable vapes are a clear example of when products have been designed with no thought for their environmental impact and should be subject to an extended producer responsibility scheme that incentivises the right eco-design.
“Millions of disposable vapes have been littered causing environmental damage or thrown in bins where they cause weekly fires in recycling and waste trucks as well as treatment facilities.
“We can’t afford to allow more pollution. Veolia’s recycling scheme has already recycled over one million vapes and we support policies that will curb products with no end of life treatment.”
A consortium of four Scottish renewable and maritime companies have been awarded a UK Government Department for Transport grant of over £535,000 to develop an innovative UK-first approach that will use clean, green hydrogen energy to reduce carbon emissions from vessels when berthed in port.
Supported by Forth Ports, the highly innovative trial will see the large tugs operating out of The Port of Leith powered by green hydrogen when tied up. The green hydrogen will be produced from treated wastewater from a nearby water treatment works, without compromising local water supplies.
The year-long trial, run by partners Forth Ports, Waterwhelm, Logan Energy and PlusZero, will deliver a state-of-the-art demonstrator system for green hydrogen shore power which marine vessels can use when they are berthed, removing the need for the diesel-powered systems which are currently in use on some quaysides.
The project draws together leading Scottish innovation and technology with sustainability expertise from the water, energy and transport sectors, and will be the first of its kind to be demonstrated at a UK port – leading the way for a circular economy approach to port decarbonisation across the country.
The project will act as a precursor to the deployment of green hydrogen in shore power supply to large ships and vessels, addressing an important challenge in decarbonising the maritime industry, particularly in remote locations or areas where a connection to the main electricity grid is not available.
Alasdair Smith, Commercial Director of Targe Towing, part of the Forth Ports group, said:“This is an exciting project for Forth Ports and Targe Towing as we work towards our commitment to reduce carbon emissions across Forth Ports group operations by 2032, and becoming net zero by 2042.
“Our tug fleet currently uses diesel-powered generators to provide electricity when tied up in port. This new green hydrogen system shows how tugs or other vessels can be completely emission-free whilst berthed.
“The project will also serve to widen our knowledge and experience of working with hydrogen, which provides a foundation for future endeavours towards a net zero future. We look forward to starting this project with our partners in the Spring.”
Using specialist water treatment technology provided by Waterwhelm, fresh re-use water will be made from wastewater from the treatment works site in Seafield, Edinburgh, which will then be used to produce hydrogen at Leith Port.
Waterwhelm’s leading technology enables water re-use and desalination processes to operate at significantly lower pressure, providing lower maintenance benefits as well as a world-beating reduction in electricity consumption and carbon emissions.
Dr Richard Wood, Research and Developer Manager and Engineer from Waterwhelm said:“Following a successful feasibility study, we are delighted to be partnering with Forth Ports, Logan Energy and PlusZero to deliver a combined state-of-the-art demonstrator system at the Port of Leith for the production, storage and utilisation of green hydrogen to supply green shore power.
“Waterwhelm’s system will utilise waste heat and wastewater to produce re-use water for electrolysis – a new, innovative approach which is much needed to support the drive towards decarbonisation whilst reducing the upcoming demand on local water networks.”
Green hydrogen specialist partners Logan Energy and PlusZero will apply their expertise to bring the clean power solution to the port – a significant collaboration that highlights major strides in Scottish hydrogen innovation.
Using a process known as electrolysis, East Lothian-based Logan Energy’s electrolyser technology will split the re-use water into oxygen and hydrogen.
The hydrogen will then be used as a clean fuel for PlusZero’s combustion engine which will generate green electricity to provide shore power for the tug boats when they are in port, replacing the need for polluting diesel generators.
Bill Ireland, Chief Executive Officer of Logan Energy said:“Hydrogen-based solutions can play a pivotal role in decarbonisation and achieving net-zero targets both in the UK and globally. We’re honoured to be part of this consortium that can develop one such application where our innovative solutions can benefit UK industry.
“Logan Energy’s fully integrated system approach will take green energy and Waterwhelm’s clean water supply and produce, compress, and store hydrogen for the purpose of powering PlusZero’s equipment, without producing any emissions. This will be a key demonstration within the marine sector that can be easily replicated elsewhere.”
David Amos, Managing Director at PlusZero said:“There is a huge amount of momentum behind hydrogen as an accelerator to the global energy transition.
“PlusZero’s ready-to-go clean power solution replaces the need for polluting diesel generators across multiple sectors of the economy – construction, events and production, and the industrial sectors.
“We are delighted to be demonstrating the true promise of this technology alongside our partners and Forth Ports, a company which is already leading the way in making Scotland’s renewables future a reality.”
The project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC4 is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206m initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector.
The UK Government Department for Transport Maritime Minister Lord Davies said:“Unlocking a sustainable maritime sector and the economic growth it provides relies on cutting edge technology to propel it to the next level.
“The voyage to sustainability demands bold investments to not just deliver greener shipping but highly skilled jobs across the UK.
“Transformative solutions can help shape the future landscape of the maritime industry and support jobs in coastal communities.”
As part of the continued drive to get more people active, the UK Government and the Scottish FA have kicked off the year by announcing 40 projects across Scotland are benefitting from a share of £6 million.
40 projects in Scotland receiving a share of £6 million this year towards new and upgraded pitches, goalposts and floodlights
Forms latest part of major UK Government investment in grassroots facilities worth over £400 million, which includes multisport pitches, tennis courts and swimming pools
Investment supports UK Government ambition to get 3.5 million more adults and children active by 2030
Exercising more is the most common New Year’s resolution*, and the UK Government is giving hundreds of thousands more people across the UK the ability to keep their resolution and get active by delivering high-quality grassroots sport facilities.
From Ayrshire to Aberdeenshire, 40 projects are to receive funding that will go towards facilities such as changing rooms and pavilions, state of the art 3G artificial grass pitches and brand new floodlights. Work is already underway on 30 of these projects, with the remaining 10 to commence shortly.
The projects being announced today will benefit from £6 million from the UK Government in 2023/24, with £5.4 million also already allocated from next year’s overall budget.
Since 2021, the UK Government has already delivered 40 projects across Scotland through £4 million of funding, with at least 50 per cent of investment to be spent in the most deprived and inactive local authorities.
UK Government Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said: “Sport and physical activity is vital to our mental health and wellbeing, and each year thousands of people make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more.
“We know that one of the major barriers in getting active is access to high-quality sports facilities, which is why we are delivering 40 new projects in Scotland.
“The UK Government and Scottish FA have already delivered another 40 projects backed by £4 million to give local communities the high quality facilities they need.”
To mark the announcement, UK Government Minister for Scotland and Exports Malcolm Offord visited Glasgow Girls and Women FC at their base in Springboig in the East End of Glasgow.
Formed in 2008, the club has gone from just 13 under-13s girls, to six youth sides from under-eights to under-18s and a senior women’s team who play in the 2nd league of the Scottish Women’s Premier League.
The club is receiving £620,000 from this latest round of UK Government funding to support their new state of the art 3G artificial grass pitch.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: “It was amazing to see the work done by the coaches, the SFA and the charity trustees at Glasgow Girls and Women FC. We are so proud to support facilities like these.
“The achievements of Scotland’s men’s and women’s football teams are in no small part down to the dedication of those at grassroots level. Providing high-quality facilities the length and breadth of Scotland that are accessible to all is vital.
“These 40 projects will nurture the talent of the future, encouraging everyone in the community to have fun, be active and embrace all the benefits that brings for physical and mental health.”
Scottish FA President Mike Mulraney said: “One of the priorities for the Scottish FA is ensuring that local communities across the nation have access to facilities, so it is wonderful to see the UK Government’s commitment to investing in our national game through the Scottish FA’s Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Fund.
“This investment will provide opportunities for a number of fantastic community clubs across the country such as Glasgow Girls and Women FC and will play an important role in further developing the vitally important role that these clubs offer within their local areas.
“It is vitally important for the nation that we continue to make our national game accessible to all and we are extremely grateful to the UK Government for helping us to do so through this investment.
This funding in Scotland will deliver 20 artificial grass pitch projects, four grass pitch projects and nine changing facility projects, as well as floodlights and goalposts. Some of these projects have been awarded funding over a two year period.
Some of the facilities in Scotland to benefit from this year’s round of investment include:
Lochend Football Academy in Edinburgh has received £28,000 for an upgrade to changing pavilion.
Glasgow Girls FC in Scotland has received over £620,000 for a brand new artificial grass pitch.
East Kilbride United has also received £400,000 for a brand new artificial grass pitch.
Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Trust has received £510,000 for a new changing pavilion.
Newtongrange Star Football and Social Club in Dalkeith has received over £25,000 for solar panels.
Glasgow City Council has received £45,000 for new floodlights at Knightswood Secondary School.
A full list of the facilities to benefit in Scotland was published (live 27/01) today.
Since 2021, the UK Government has delivered new facilities or improvements at almost 2,400 sites across the UK, aiming to get 120,000 more people active, through its £325 million programme. This investment is supporting grassroots clubs up and down the country, including women’s and girls teams.
The UK Government’s multi-sport grassroots facilities programme is investing in areas that are most in need of new or renovated facilities. Through the programme more high quality facilities are being made available for people to play football, rugby and other grassroots sports.
The UK Government recently published its new sport strategy to get 2.5 million more adults and one million more young people meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance of 150 minutes per week for adults, and 60 minutes per day for young people by 2030.
Unavoidable hidden fees cost consumers £2.2 billion every year
Fake reviews, shop labelling and hidden fees that make shopping more difficult and expensive for consumers will all be targeted head on to clamp down on unfair trading practices.
Following a consultation into consumer transparency and as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill (DMCC), the Department for Business and Trade will officially add fake reviews to a list of banned business practices, outlaw dripped fees that are unavoidable for consumers and ensure that businesses provide clearer labelling for prices on supermarket shelves.
These measures will be legislated for as part of the DMCC Bill as it progresses through Parliament.
Sneaky hidden fees, or dripped prices that are unavoidable will be banned. Drip pricing occurs when consumers are shown an initial price for a good or service while additional fees are revealed (or “dripped”) later in the checkout process.
Research suggests it is widespread and occurs in more than half of providers in the entertainment (54 percent) and hospitality (56 percent) industry, and almost three quarters across transport and communication (72 percent) sectors.
Every year, unavoidable fees cost consumers £2.2 billion, which is why these laws are being designed to ensure online shoppers have a clear idea of what they are spending upfront, to inform them as much as possible and as soon as possible before making purchases.
To make it easier for consumers to compare products and services, fees that are mandatory must be included in the headline price or at the start of the shopping process – these include booking fees for cinemas and train tickets.
Optional fees such as airline seat and luggage upgrades for flights will not be included in these measures.
Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said:“From supermarket shelves to digital baskets – modern day shopping provides customers with more choice than ever before. But with that, comes the increased risk of confusion, scams and traps that can easily cost the public more than they had planned.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the clear steps we’re taking as a government to ensure customers can compare purchases with ease, aren’t duped by fake reviews, and have the sting of hidden fees taken away.”
Reviews were found to be used by 90% of consumers and contributed to the £224 billion spent in online retail markets in 2022, which is why this government is committed to ensuring that the information available online is accurate and fair.
Working with the Competition and Market’s Authority, new guidance will be created in the coming months to tackle fake reviews which will be added to the list of banned practices, with website hosts held accountable for reviews on their pages.
The Price Marking Order (PMO), a piece of Retained EU Law, will also be reformed now ]we have taken back control of our laws’.
The PMO requires traders to display the final selling price and, where appropriate the final unit price (e.g., price per litre/kilogram) of products in a clear way. The EU’s PMO laws were last updated 20 years ago and no longer reflect modern shopping habits.
We will be working with stakeholders and businesses to create new, simpler and clearer guidance for pricing labels that works best for British businesses and improves the shopping experiences for UK customers. This is expected to be issued in the spring.
Our proposed changes will ensure unit pricing is consistently applied, including to promotions and special offers, helping consumers compare products easily and identify what items represent the best value to them.
Small shops that are currently exempt from the PMO will continue to be exempt from those specific measures.
Graham Wynn, Assistant Director, British Retail Consortium said: “The BRC looks forward to continuing to work with officials as practical detailed implementation plans are developed. We are committed to ensuring information given to consumers is clear and they are not misled in any way.“
The UK Government will also be making provision for the PMO in relation to the Deposit Return Scheme so the cost of the deposit is displayed separately on price labels.
In addition to fake reviews and hidden fees, the DMCC Bill will also look at other consumer issues including subscription traps, and will provide the CMA with stronger tools to investigate competition problems and take faster, more effective action, including where companies collude to bump-up prices at the expense of UK consumers.
Government recommends reforms to boost public trust in the BBC following a review at the mid-point of its 11 year Charter
Review recommends greater independent scrutiny of complaints handling, improving transparency for commercial media organisations, and extending Ofcom oversight over more BBC online services
BBC urged to better reflect diverse views and opinions in decision-making and improve engagement with underserved audience groups, among other key recommendations
The Westminster government has recommended major reforms to help boost audience confidence in the BBC’s impartiality and complaints system, following the first Mid-Term Review published by the government today.
Launched at the halfway point of the BBC’s 11 year Royal Charter, the Mid-Term Review evaluates the effectiveness of the governance and regulatory arrangements introduced by the Charter in 2017, with recommendations to ensure the best outcome for audiences.
Audiences will be given greater certainty that their complaints about BBC TV, radio and on demand content – including concerns about bias – are dealt with fairly, through greater scrutiny of its complaints process, which is to be made more independent from programme makers. A new legally binding responsibility on the BBC Board will require it to actively oversee the BBC’s complaints process to assure audiences that their concerns are being fairly considered.
In recognition that audiences are increasingly getting their news and watching content online, Ofcom oversight will be extended to parts of the BBC’s online public services, including the BBC News website, to enable Ofcom to hold the BBC to account in a more robust way.
And Ofcom will be given a new legally binding responsibility to review more of the BBC’s complaints decisions, meaning audiences can have greater confidence that their complaints have been handled fairly.
The Mid-Term Review stresses the need for the BBC to clearly demonstrate how it will meet its obligations on distinctiveness over the remainder of this Charter period, and for the BBC to meaningfully engage with its competitors, such as radio stations and local newspapers, when it is considering a change to its services.
The government consulted the BBC and Ofcom closely on the recommendations and expects them to be implemented in a timely manner. The government has also identified some key issues as a result of the Mid-Term Review that need to be further considered at the next Charter Review before 2027.
In particular, we will continue to place a strong emphasis on impartiality and complaints, including reviewing the effectiveness of the BBC’s new social media guidelines and whether the BBC First model – formally introduced by the Charter in 2017 – process remains the right model for complaints, as well as how distinctive BBC output and services are from those of commercial providers.
The Government has highlighted these priorities for the next Charter in correspondence with the BBC.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The Government wants to see a strong, independent BBC that can thrive in the years to come as a major contributor to the nation’s successful creative industries.
“In a rapidly changing media landscape the BBC needs to adapt or risk losing the trust of the audiences it relies on. Following constructive conservations with the BBC and Ofcom, we have recommended reforms that I believe will improve accountability while boosting public confidence in the BBC’s ability to be impartial and respond to concerns raised by licence fee payers.
“These changes will better set up the BBC to ask difficult questions of itself, and make sure Ofcom can continue to hold the broadcaster to account. We all rely on the BBC being the best it can be and this review will help ensure that is what the British public gets.”
Complaints and impartiality
The Mid-Term Review has concluded that the BBC’s complaints process introduced at the last Charter Review in 2017, known as BBC First – where audience complaints are normally addressed by the BBC before they can be escalated to Ofcom – allows licence fee payers to hold the BBC directly accountable.
However, impartiality continues to be an ongoing issue for audiences, with concerns about the broadcaster’s objectivity making up the majority of complaints about the BBC’s editorial content. The review highlights a lack of public confidence in the way the BBC currently handles complaints.
Following challenging and constructive conversations with the government, the BBC will introduce reforms to enhance the independent scrutiny of its complaints handling and further improve the experience of viewers who make a complaint.
The BBC Board previously had a responsibility to oversee only the establishment of a complaints handling process. We are now giving the entire Board the responsibility to oversee how that process is working in practice. Furthermore, the non-executive board directors and external advisors on the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee will be given greater powers to scrutinise and challenge how BBC senior management responds to complaints.
The job role which has responsibility for complaints handling now reports directly to the Director General rather than the Director responsible for editorial policy, separating pre-broadcast editorial policy and post-broadcast complaints resolution.
Currently Ofcom regulates the BBC’s TV, radio and on demand output, but not other elements of its online content. The government has committed to extending Ofcom regulation to other elements of the BBC’s online public service material in order to give audiences confidence that the BBC is being held to greater account across its digital services. The government expects this to apply to BBC branded content on third party websites, applications and other online interfaces over which the BBC has editorial control – including the BBC News website and the BBC’s YouTube channel.
The review recommends the BBC materially improves the experience of audiences when lodging a complaint by giving clearer explanations of the process and the roles of the BBC and Ofcom, to ensure licence fee payers are not put off from sharing their views. The review also recommends Ofcom improves the transparency of its decision making when considering whether to open a formal investigation into content that the BBC has found has breached its own editorial standards. This will help audiences to better understand whether Ofcom is taking further regulatory action and why.
At Charter Review, the government is committing to examining whether BBC First remains the right complaints model to enable the BBC to deliver against its responsibility to serve all audiences.
To help the BBC go further to tackle perceptions of bias, the review also recommends that the BBC publishes more information about the work it is doing to strengthen the impartiality of its editorial content, including to illustrate the impact it’s having.
The BBC’s impact on the wider market
Looking at the BBC’s impact on the UK media landscape, the review sets out that the BBC must clearly demonstrate how it effectively balances delivering for licence fee payers and supporting the UK’s wider creative industries when making decisions about how its services and output are distinctive. This is increasingly important given broader structural trends in some of the markets in which the BBC operates, such as online local news, and will be an important question for the Charter Review.
Meaningful engagement with competitors should be strengthened and the BBC must be more transparent when it seeks to make changes to its services. This higher standard of engagement and transparency should support other businesses operating in the same markets as the BBC, including commercial radio stations and local news publishers. The government has recommended that Ofcom publish an annual high-level view on the BBC’s position in the local news sector, as it does for other sectors, to provide further clarity.
The government has also recommended that the BBC develop a public strategy outlining how it will partner with others, and provide competitors with greater clarity on how it will make decisions on partnerships.
While the government supports the BBC’s ambitious plans to grow its commercial revenue, and has found that the governance and regulation of its commercial activities works effectively, the impact of any changes, such as the introduction of a BBC Commercial Board in 2022, needs to be closely monitored.
Diversity
As a national broadcaster, the BBC has a duty in its Charter to accurately reflect, represent and serve diverse communities across the UK, both on and off the screen.
While the BBC has said it is committed to improving representation, the review recommends it considers how diversity of thought and opinion could be better reflected in its decision-making. Some audience groups, for example, disabled viewers and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, feel underrepresented by the BBC. We recommend that the BBC works to ensure engagement with these groups is sufficient to best understand their specific needs and concerns.
New law will create a new specific offence for dog and cat abduction
A new criminal offence for pet abduction took a significant step forward yesterday with the announcement of government backing for new legislation.
Under the Pet Abduction Bill – a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Anna Firth MP – anyone found guilty of stealing a pet will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.
By supporting the Pet Abduction Bill, the Government is delivering on pledges made in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare. This recognised that cats and dogs are not inanimate objects but sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners or keepers.
Evidence from the Pet Theft Taskforce suggests that around 2,000 dog theft and over 400 cat theft crimes were reported to police in 2020, causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike. With an estimated 28% of UK adults owning a dog and 24% owning a cat, pet theft is a major concern to the public.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “As a dog owner myself, I appreciate deeply what treasured members of the family dogs and cats are. It is a deeply traumatic experience for both the owner and the pet when they are stolen.
“This vital Bill will recognise the severity of this shocking crime and should act as a deterrent to anyone considering stealing a dog or cat. We will do all we can to support its swift passage through Parliament.”
Anna Firth MP said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Pet Abduction Bill has passed its second reading, and will move on to Committee stage. As a nation of pet-lovers, it is vital that the law recognises the emotional impact that the abduction of a pet can have, and brings the perpetrators to justice that correctly reflects this.
“Pets are not merely property like a smartphone or watch – they are part of the family. It is not right that the law does not distinguish this and I am delighted that my bill will redress this wrong.”
Friday’s announcement builds upon wider work to protect pets from theft, including making it compulsory to microchip all pet cats and dogs in, making it easier for lost, stray or stolen pets to be reunited with their owners and returned home safely.
This builds on the Government’s efforts to enhance ‘our world-leading standards of animal welfare’. The UK was the first country in the world to introduce animal cruelty offences and is the highest ranked G7 nation according to World Animal Protection’s Index. Our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare committed us to going even further to protect animals.
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill – which is only possible now we have left the European Union – was introduced to Parliament last month and will put an end to the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping animals enduring unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury on long journeys.
Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, we have also brought in new laws to recognise animal sentience, introduced tougher penalties for animal cruelty offences; extended the ivory ban to cover other ivory bearing species; introduced legislation to ban the keeping of primates as pets and supported legislation to ban glue traps, the import of detached shark fins and measures to ban the advertising and offering for sale of low welfare activities abroad.
The UK’s biggest cat charity Cats Protection has welcomed the Pet Abduction Bill, following its second reading.The charity says the Private Members Bill – proposed by Anna Firth MP – would give cats and their owners greater protection in law and help prevent pet theft.
In particular, the proposals would help tackle the backstreet market in purebred cats and kittens, driven by a growing demand for pedigrees.
Cats Protection’s Senior Advocacy & Government Relations Officer Annabel Berdy said: “No matter what the animal, pet abduction is a particularly abhorrent crime, leaving owners devastated and pets at high risk of mistreatment.
“Most cat owners share a deep emotional bond with their pet and consider them part of the family. When cats are stolen, it rips that companionship away, and leaves owners living with the nightmare of not knowing how their cat is being treated or if they’ll ever be reunited.
“More than 40% of all cats obtained in the last 12 months were pedigree, and this hasn’t gone un-noticed by those who want to profit in animal trade at any cost.
“These unscrupulous sellers will be looking to profit either by selling stolen cats to unsuspecting buyers, or keeping them to breed kittens for onward sale.
“Clearly, we are incredibly concerned about the welfare of these cats and kittens and this proposed law has the potential to be a much-needed deterrent to stamp out this market.
“We look forward to continuing to work with other animal charities and politicians to help push this Bill forwards and bring about better protections for pet owners and pets alike.”
Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and has helped an average of 157,000 cats and kittens a year over the last five years through its national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres.
