Animal welfare expert to advise government at all levels

Making animal welfare a key focus of government policy is the goal of a new team that includes a University of Reading agriculture expert.

Professor Richard Bennett, Professor of Agricultural Economics, will sit on the newly-formed Animal Sentience Committee. The committee was set up to ensure animal welfare is considered at every level of government decision-making.

He was invited to sit on the committee following a career dedicated to studying and influencing policy and practice in the treatment of animals. Professor Bennett is already a council member of the Humane Slaughter Association and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare.

Professor Bennett said: “I have been researching into animal health and welfare for more than three decades. The creation of this committee is a big milestone for standards in the UK as it puts animal welfare at the heart of government policy.

“Our jobs will be challenging as we have a responsibility to think about how policy decisions across government affect animals, not just in farming or research.”

The committee’s role will be to publish reports containing their views on whether Ministers have fully considered the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings. Ministers must respond to these reports through a written statement to Parliament within three months.

Its remit extends beyond farming or specific animal-related concerns, covering all aspects of government policy. The first meeting of the Animal Sentience Committee is scheduled for June.

Learn more about animal research at the University of Reading