Tory peer slams Government for devoting time during Covid to passing law to protect prawns' feelings

The Government is devoting time at the height of the pandemic to pass a law to ensure no policy can hurt the feelings of a prawn, a Conservative peer has claimed.

Critics in the House of Lords questioned the need for the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which the Government is seeking to introduce post-Brexit.

In particular, peers took aim at a recent Government amendment which extended the scope of the Bill to recognise lobsters, octopuses and crabs and all other decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs as sentient beings.

The move followed the findings of a Government-commissioned independent review by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) which concluded there is strong scientific evidence decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs are sentient.

The Bill, when it becomes law, will establish an Animal Sentience Committee made up of experts from the field, who will be able to issue reports on how Government decisions have taken account of the welfare of sentient animals, with ministers needing to respond to Parliament.

The Bill passed its third reading in the Lords and it will fall to members of the Commons to address the proposal.

However, a handful of peers, including Tory former minister Lord Herbert of South Downs, raised concerns, arguing the Government is showing it is “inclined to bend without sufficient thoughts to populism”.

Lord Herbert told peers: “Every one of us in this House, every one of us wants to promote animal welfare. I certainly do. I feel strongly that animals must be treated properly. But whatever the good intentions of those promoting this Bill, I fear that it is not a wise measure as drafted.

“In fact, if we take a step back, it is actually an incredible measure. It seriously proposes that the effect of any government policy on the welfare of animals may be considered by an unfettered statutory committee.

“When the Bill started this measure applied only to vertebrates. Now, it applies to cephalopod, molluscs and decapod crustaceans.

“That was one of the few amendments made to this Bill, and that was by the Government. So at the height of a pandemic, which has killed thousands of people and cost our economy billions, we have decided to devote time to passing a law to ensure that no government policy can hurt the feelings of a prawn.”

Conservative Lord Cormack said “nobody could have put it better than Lord Herbert”, adding: “Why is Parliament considering consuming itself with considerations for the welfare of the prawn when all around people are in danger of a deadly virus?

“It shows a completely warped sense of perspective and priorities. It is something of which I feel deeply ashamed.”

Environment minister Lord Benyon said some of Lord Herbert’s points “struck home” but rejected the claim, which seemed to “suggest that this House can’t hold two thoughts in its head at the same time”.

He added: “Of course, the priority of this House and the Government and all of us is to deal with a pandemic, but the idea that you can’t produce legislation on any other subject, which is the logical conclusion of his argument, is one that I’m afraid I don’t agree with.”