Update on Review of Animals and Birds Act 1965 and Code of Animal Welfare

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development when will the review of the Animals and Birds Act 1965 and the Code of Animal Welfare be completed.

Mr Speaker. as part of the National Parks Board's (NParks') efforts to safeguard animal health and welfare as well as public health and safety, we have embarked on a review of the Animals and Birds Act 1965 and the Code of Animal Welfare. For instance, the penalty framework under Animals and Birds Act will be reviewed to ensure that they are effective in deterring and punishing acts of animal cruelty and abuse.

The review is wide-ranging and apart from reviewing penalties and enforcements, as I have just said, it also includes strengthening animal disease and zoonosis prevention and control, possible regulation of veterinary health products, as well as animal training devices, and other areas. We will continue to take a collaborative approach in this review and will engage the public and community stakeholders to ensure that their views are considered.

We will announce more details when ready.

I thank the Minister for the reply. I note that NParks had shared publicly that they are reviewing the penalties for animal cruelty and animal abuse to ensure they are effective in deterring such acts, back in October 2021. So, could I check with the Minister, what is taking so long? Is there something that is delaying the completion of this review?

Second, the Minister had mentioned that they are going to consult widely. Could I check when the public consultations will be and also when will we be consulting the animal welfare groups, the vets and all the various stakeholders, including animal trainers as well?

Thank you, Mr Speaker and I thank Mr Louis Ng. Mr Speaker, as I have said, the review is a comprehensive one. It includes not just a review of penalties, but also zoonosis prevention and control, and other areas as articulated earlier. So, it is looking not just at penalties, but also a wider range of issues as well.

We will consult the community, we will consult stakeholders, we will consult industry and professionals. Already, some work has started. For example, the Member will be aware that the dog training standards workgroup co-chaired by NParks and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, involves representatives from animal welfare groups, dog trainers, vets and representatives from working dog units to study one specific area – that is on the least intrusive, minimally-averse training techniques, as well as to study and develop plans on the regulatory approaches to training devices.

There are other work streams being undertaken involving consultation with different groups, but at a later stage, we will consult more widely.