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<p>The Secretary of State meets with the Chairman of the Sentencing Council periodically
to discuss a wide range of relevant issues.</p><p> </p><p>The Council is independent
of Parliament and Government and decides on its own priorities and work plan for developing
and revising guidelines. To reflect the higher maximum penalties introduced by the
Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, the Council is currently developing a revised
guideline for animal cruelty offences, and plans to consult on that revision in due
course. The Council has also published interim guidance for offences committed on
or after 29 June 2021 to take account of the increase in maximum penalties. This can
be found at: <a href="https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/animal-cruelty-interim-guidance/"
target="_blank">https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/animal-cruelty-interim-guidance/</a>.</p>
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