Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:15 pm on 10 September 2024.
David Brooks
DUP
2:15,
10 September 2024
7. Mr Brooks asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether he will commission a review of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. (AQO 757/22-27)
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
There is one minute left, Minister.
Andrew Muir
Alliance
The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 is the foundation on which statutory bodies, including councils, the PSNI and my Department, carry out their duties to improve animal welfare. It is robust legislation that provides a range of powers for dealing with animal welfare cases, including being proactive in dealing with cases in order to prevent unnecessary suffering, and tough fines and penalties for serious animal welfare offences. The 2011 Act is on a par with animal welfare legislation in the rest of the UK.
Whilst I have no immediate plans to review the Act, I wish to engage with relevant stakeholders in the time ahead on future animal welfare policy and legislation. The suitability and capability of all legislation, including that Act, is something that I am willing to consider as and when evidence for change is presented as part of that stakeholder engagement.
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
2:30,
10 September 2024
David, unfortunately, there is not time to ask a supplementary question, but you will get a response. That ends the period for listed questions. We will now move to 15 minutes of topical questions. Question 6 has been withdrawn.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
