Baroness Sanderson of Welton

Government is liaising closely with energy suppliers and relevant trade bodies about support to all of their customers, and in particular vulnerable customers, during this period. Businesses in the hospitality sector that have concerns about being able to pay their utility bills should speak to their energy supplier about payment terms.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill includes measures to deliver our manifesto commitment to tackle puppy smuggling. The Bill reduces the number of pet dogs, cats and ferrets that can be moved under the pet travel rules. The Bill also includes powers to introduce further restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of cats, dogs and ferrets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation on how these powers could be used including proposals to ban the import of puppies under the age of six months. We are currently analysing the replies to this consultation and will publish our response in due course.

The Domestic Abuse Bill includes a new statutory duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children within safe accommodation. These provisions have been designed in the light of extensive consultation and analysis about how to address the gaps in current provision.

We fully recognise the vital role played by community-based support services in helping victims of domestic abuse and their children to rebuild their lives. However, until we have undertaken a similar analytical exercise in relation to community-based support services, we believe it would be premature to legislate in this Bill.

A key part of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s role will be to monitor and oversee domestic abuse services nationally, and to support this she will undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape. While the initial scoping work is expected to be completed this financial year, the work on mapping the provision of community-based services across the country is expected to conclude by the end of 2021. The Government will then work with the Commissioner to understand the needs identified and develop options on how best to address them.