The Government has launched the second Animal Welfare Bill, which will improve welfare standards through a wide range of measures for pets, farmed and kept wild animals, including a ban on keeping primates as pets.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will raise animal welfare standards in five key areas: puppy smuggling, live exports, banning keeping primates as pets, livestock worrying and zoos.

Mr Eustice said: “As an independent nation outside the EU we are now able to go further than ever on animal welfare by banning the export of live animal exports for slaughter and fattening, prohibiting keeping primates as pets and bringing in new powers to tackle puppy smuggling.

“This builds on the launch of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare and Animal Sentience Bill last month as part of our work to build on our status as a world leader on animal welfare.”

Today’s announcement is the second piece of legislation introduced in the last month aimed at driving better standards of animal welfare. It follows the Government’s decision to formally recognise animals as sentient beings in domestic law through the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on May 13.