The mandatory micro-chipping of cats and a new forest with a million trees are among the animal welfare and environmental targets being considered by the government for its post-Brexit domestic agenda.
Ahead of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, ministers have sought to shift focus away from the ongoing drama in parliament by promoting a series of ideas to protect wildlife and reduce carbon emissions.
Many of the plans being floated are only under consideration rather than concrete policy commitments, but will likely form part of any upcoming general election campaign.
The proposals have been announced after a difficult week for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been referred to a police watchdog and been fiercely criticised for his language on Brexit.
The PM is also still reeling from the unanimous Supreme Court ruling which found his decision to suspend parliament was unlawful.
Among the Tory proposals announced on the eve of the party’s conference:
Animal welfare
- The government will consult on compulsory micro-chipping for cats, bringing them in line with dogs whose owners face fines of up to £500 if the animals are not micro-chipped by eight weeks old
- Evidence will be considered on proposals to ban the sale of primates as pets – and an outright ban on keeping them as pets in future
- Banning long journeys for animals being taken to slaughter, instead forcing them to be taken to the closest abattoir and effectively banning the majority of live exports
- The government will also consult on banning the import and export of trophies from endangered animal hunts
Environmental protections
- The car industry will receive a £1bn investment for the development of green technology to reduce emissions, such as more efficient batteries and electric motors
- Northbumberland will get three new forests, making up Great Northumberland Forest, which will see one million trees planted between 2020 and 2024
- Support for a programme to create “pocket parks”, which will transform small slices of undeveloped or derelict land into green public spaces
- New fusion power plant to be built by 2040, providing clean energy to the UK
- Future homes to be held to a more stringent standard regarding energy efficiency
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the Conservatives will lead “the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than we found it”.
She said animals across the country would also be made safer, whether they are domesticated, live on farms or roam free out in the wild – but acknowledged that nothing is yet set in stone.
“We’re setting a clear direction pf travel, we think a good case has been made to take these proposed bans forward, so I believe that is where we will end up,” she told Sky News.
“But we must listen to appropriate evidence before a decision is taken.”
Ministers have said the environmental protections will be key to making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.
The government is already committed to all cars and vans being effectively zero emission by 2040.
