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Evidence heard on circus bill
Government publishes written evidence on draft bill

 Following a draft bill aimed at banning the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England, written evidence has been supplied by a range of organisations and individuals.

The draft bill was published by Defra on April 16, and will make it an offence for wild animals to be used in circuses for performance or exhibition from December 1, 2015.

Written evidence was published on the parliamentary website on May 28, and includes responses from the RSPCA, Captive Animal's Protection Society (CAPS) and the Born Free Foundation.

Whilst the legislation has been welcomed by animal welfare and conservation organisations, concerns have been raised by the fact that the bill does not specify that wild animals cannot travel with a circus.

If the bill goes through in England, this could permit wild animals to tour with a circus, but not perform or be exhibited. Therefore, circuses could transport animals to Wales or Scotland to perform.

The ongoing inquiry aims to scrutinise the draft bill in order to determine its effectiveness in banning the use of wild animals in circuses. 

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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RCVS members invited to question Council candidates

RCVS members have been invited to submit questions to candidates for this year's RCVS Council election.

With 15 candidates standing for three available positions, vets have been invited to submit a question of their choosing before voting starts. These questions will be collated, with each candidate answering one question of their choice.

It is recommended that members read the candidates' biographies and statements before submitting questions. One question per member can be submitted to vetvote26@rcvs.org.uk before Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

The RCVS Council election is due to start in March.

With only two candidates for two positions on the VN Council, there will be no VN Council elections this year. Meghan Conroy RVN and Lauren Hargrave RVN will begin their three year terms at RCVS' AGM in July.