This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the Wild Animals in Circuses (No 2) Bill, scheduled to take place on 19 June 2019.
Wild Animals in Circuses (No. 2) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages (166 KB , PDF)
The Wild Animals in Circuses (No. 2) Bill is a government bill that would prohibit the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. The bill defines a wild animal as one that is not commonly domesticated in Great Britain. The bill would ban the performance or exhibit of a wild animal and provide various powers of inspection of circus premises.
There has been longstanding debate about the ethics of using wild animals in circuses and successive governments have made commitments to introduce a ban. The use of wild animals in circuses is currently regulated by the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012. The regulations require all circuses using wild animals to be licensed and to adhere to a range of animal welfare and inspection requirements. The regulations contained a sunset clause and are due to expire in January 2020.
This briefing summarises the bill’s provisions, the policy background, and the bill’s House of Commons stages.
Wild Animals in Circuses (No. 2) Bill: Briefing for Lords Stages (166 KB , PDF)
The Hares (Closed Season) Bill [HL] would create a closed season during which it would be an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take any hare between 1 February to 30 September each year. It would also repeal the Hares Preservation Act 1892.
![Hares (Close Season) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 52 of 2024–25](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Agriculture-and-farming-568x426.png)
The government has announced various policies affecting farming and rural communities. Examples include the closure of the sustainable farming incentive, changes to inheritance tax relief and planning reforms set out in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Whilst some stakeholders have welcomed the plans, the government has faced strong opposition from the farming industry about the impact these policies could have on farm businesses and rural communities.
Extreme rainfall and flooding in 2023 and 2024 impacted farmers and affected the supply of some domestically grown food. It is predicted that future climatic changes could impact agriculture and domestic food production, presenting both risks and opportunities. This briefing examines how the government is supporting farmers and growers to adapt to climate change.
