Last week, I was in Parliament for a "sitting Friday". The House of Commons generally sits Monday to Thursday, so MPs can go back to their constituencies on Friday. However, for thirteen Fridays in a session, the House sits and considers Private Members' Bills - as a Government MP I am expected to attend some, but not all, of these (there is a rotation system!)
Two very important Private Members' Bills that were debated on Friday were the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill and the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill. The United Kingdom has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and these two Bills continue to raise the bar, as well as take the rest of the world with us.
The first Bill will ban the import of so-called hunting trophies, and the second will ban the sale and advertising of activities abroad which involve low standards of welfare for animals.
We are a nation of animal lovers. This Government recognise that and are supporting the Bills and taking these actions to improve animal welfare around the world and protect animals from cruelty.