The Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994

UK Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 2126 — creates 2 criminal offences.

2offences created

0recorded in force

2revoked

Made: 27 July 1994
In force from: 10 August 1994
Extent: Not stated
Subject: Dogs, animals, hunting and wildlife
Made under: Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968, European Communities Act 1972

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

These Regulations revoke and replace with amendments: The Welfare of Livestock (Intensive Units) Regulations 1978 (S.I. 1978/1800); The Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/2020); The Welfare of Calves Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/2021); The Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1990 (S.I. 1990/1445); and The Welfare of Pigs Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/1477); and amend the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Act 1954. They implement— the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes of 10th March 1976 as read with the Protocol of Amendment to the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes of 6th February 1992 (both available from HMSO, PO Box 276, London SW8 5DT); Council Directive 88/166/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens kept in battery cages (OJ No. L74, 19.3.88, p.83); Council Directive 91/629/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of calves (OJ No. L340, 11.12.91, p.28); Council Directive 91/630/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs (OJ No. L340, 11.12.91, p.33). They make specific provision for the welfare of laying hens in battery cages, calves and pigs and general provision for other livestock, but do not apply in respect of bees or fish, including shellfish, crustaceans or molluscs. Existing requirements applying to intensive systems are extended to all systems of animal husbandry in which animals are kept in such numbers or density or in such conditions that their health and welfare depend upon frequent human attention, so as to comply with the Council of Europe Convention on Animals kept for Farming Purposes as amended by the Protocol of Amendment of 6th February 1992. In the case of laying hens in battery cages, the Regulations introduce amendments in relation to cage height requirements and make additional requirements in relation to testing alarms on automatic ventilation systems. Until 1st January 1995, the provisions in Schedule 1 of paragraph 1 (minimum cage requirements) shall not apply in relation to battery cages in use before 1st January 1988, provided the accommodation has not been reconstructed since that date. In the case of calves, they regulate the area to which the calves must have access, although the provisions in Schedule 2 of paragraph 1(1) (minimum floor space for calves in groups) and 2(a) (requirement for individual stalls to have a perforated wall) do not apply until 1st January 2004 for accommodation in use before 1st January 1994. In the case of pigs, they regulate the area to which pigs must have access, although the provisions in Part I, Schedule 3 of paragraph 1 (tethers) and 2 (stall dimensions) do not apply until 1st January 1999 to tethers and stalls in use before 1st October 1991 and the provisions in Part V, Schedule 3 of paragraph 2 (minimum floor area) do not apply until 1st January 1998 for accommodation in use before 1st January 1994. The use of sweat box systems for keeping pigs will be prohibited after 1st July 1995. A Compliance Cost Assessment has been prepared and placed in the library of each House of Parliament.

Offences created by this instrument

Importation from third countries regulation 5(2) · Revoked · Strict liability
A person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of these Regulations other than regulation 5 shall be… regulation 7 · Revoked · Strict liability

What Parliament said about it

Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Welfare Of Livestock Regulations 1994 Lords · Lords Chamber · 15 July 1994
Welfare Of Livestock (Amendment) Regulations 1998 Lords · Lords Chamber · 7 July 1998
In many respects the new European legislation resulting from this review confirms the high standards already laid down in the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 or voluntarily adopted by our industry. Our philosophy in drawing up these implementing regulations has been to follow the directive but also to retain where appropriate those standards that go beyond the new EU requirements.
Cruelty To Animals Lords · Lords Chamber · 17 May 1999 · Lord Burlison
My Lords, I add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Hardy, for initiating today's debate and drawing attention to the problem of animal cruelty. A substantial body of legislation protects the welfare of animals, and the Government are committed to high animal welfare standards. The Government have made substantial progress with a number of welfare issues since the general election and intend to make further progress. We are sympathetic to the aims of the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Bill, which seeks to crack down on unscrupulous breeders in so-called puppy farms, improve the welfare of…
Welfare Of Farmed Animals Regulations 2000 Lords · Lords Chamber · 14 July 2000
On our second principle, we have tried to ensure that we depart from the wording found in the present EU legislation only when it is sensible to do so. In one particular case, relating to tail docking of piglets, this has meant abandoning the wording used in the predecessor Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 and adopting the wording of the parent directive on the welfare of pigs.
Welfare Of Farmed Animals Regulations 2000 Lords · Lords Chamber · 14 July 2000
We recognised early on in drawing up implementing regulations for the directive that it would be very difficult to amend the current Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 without making them extremely difficult to follow. We decided that the 1994 regulations should be revoked and replaced by new ones which would combine the new EU requirements with our existing rules in a logical way. In drafting these implementing regulations we followed five basic principles.

How Parliament handled it

Parliament's Statutory Instruments service records procedure from May 2017 onwards, and this instrument predates it. That is a limit of the source, not a statement that nothing happened.

Check the source

This instrument on legislation.gov.uk The authoritative text, including amendments made since
Other instruments from 1994