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1051290

registered interest
date	30/01/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a ban on tethering animals in unsafe locations including (a) roundabouts (b) roadsides and (c) other public land.
tabling member constituency	York Outer
tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
uin	214548
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>Defra is keen to ensure that we uphold our high standards of animal welfare including in relation to tethering. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) it is an offence to fail to provide for an animal’s welfare or to cause it any unnecessary suffering. The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids (the Code). The Code provides owners and keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals and includes a specific section on how to tether a horse and other animals are covered. The code makes it clear that the site should not allow animals’ access to a public highway or public footpaths. If anyone is concerned about the way a horse or other animal has been tethered they should report the matter either to the relevant local authority or to the RSPCA or World Horse Welfare who can investigate. If a horse or other animal is found not to be tethered appropriately it could lead to a prosecution under the 2006 Act. Defra considers that this legislation and guidance provides the right safeguards in respect of tethering.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 07/02/2019 17:31:45 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1125667

registered interest
date	09/05/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has plans to improve animal rights after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Welwyn Hatfield
tabling member printed	Grant Shapps
uin	252554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>We will maintain and enhance our high animal welfare standards as we leave the EU.</p><p> </p><p>We recently laid legislation to ban travelling circuses from using wild animals and to tackle puppy farming by ending third party sales. We have made CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses and are introducing one of the world’s toughest bans on ivory sales to protect elephants from poaching. Each of these measures goes further than EU rules require.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 14/05/2019 16:03:41 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1582 label Biography information for Grant Shapps

1141969

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to prevent animal cruelty.
tabling member constituency	Walsall North
tabling member printed	Eddie Hughes
uin	912197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2019 answer text <p>This Government is leading the way in promoting animal welfare by bringing forward legislation that will increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty in England from 6 months’ to 5 years’ imprisonment. We have also made it a requirement for all slaughterhouses to have CCTV; updated and improved the laws regulating dog breeding and pet sales; and banned the third party sale of puppies and kittens.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 912192 question first answered 25/07/2019 15:37:14 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4635 label Biography information for Eddie Hughes

1061308

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to regulate animal rescue centres.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	221590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government commends animal rescue centres for the valuable work they do caring for vulnerable animals in need. Defra is aware that many animal welfare charities support the introduction of licensing for the rescue and rehoming sector. They see this as a means to prevent disreputable dealers from reinventing themselves as rescue centres in order to evade the ban on third-party sales of puppies and kittens in England. The Government needs to understand the benefits and impacts of licensing on genuine rescue centres, and is engaging with the animal rescue and rehoming sector on these questions.</p><p> </p><p>To stop commercial operations circumnavigating the ban on third party sales, Defra will provide updated guidance to local authorities to help them distinguish between genuine rescue centres, and those that are actually commercial operations and are subject to the ban.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 19/02/2019 17:57:21 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1064671

registered interest
date	21/02/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of enforcement of laws on animal cruelty.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	224329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2019 answer text <p>The animal welfare laws in England contain effective powers to enable their robust enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>Any person or organisation, such as the RSPCA, can take forward private prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The RSPCA in particular investigates many allegations of animal welfare offences where additional powers are needed, for example to gain entry or to seize animals. The RSPCA will often work in partnership with the police or local authorities who have these specific powers under the Act.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Government is increasing the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences from six months’ to five years’ imprisonment.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 28/02/2019 14:34:45 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1077721

registered interest
date	26/02/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to maintain animal rights through legislation after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	226212
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government has been very clear that leaving the EU will not lead to a lowering of our high animal welfare standards, and is making good on our commitment to make the UK a world leader in the care and protection of animals as we leave the EU.</p><p>Our regulatory system will offer at least the same level of assurance of animal welfare following our departure from the EU as it does now. The EU Withdrawal Act will ensure that existing EU standards are maintained once we leave the EU. For instance, existing bans on imports of chlorinated chicken and hormone beef have been transferred into UK law and will remain in place after we leave.</p><p>We are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward. These include plans to increase maximum penalties for animal cruelty from six months’ to five years’ imprisonment. We are also considering what more can be done to improve animal welfare standards in the context of our future agricultural policy and are looking to control exports of live animals for slaughter.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 226199 question first answered 05/03/2019 10:22:05 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1081726

registered interest
date	04/03/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the draft animal sentience bill.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	228064
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, on 12 February 2019, PQ 218781.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 12/03/2019 17:54:31 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1064778

registered interest
date	21/02/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to increase standards for the care and protection of animals after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	224482
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government has been very clear that our departure from the EU will not lead to a lowering of our high animal welfare standards.</p><p> </p><p>Our regulatory system will offer at least the same level of assurance of animal welfare following our departure from the EU as it does now. The EU Withdrawal Act will ensure that existing EU standards are maintained once we leave the EU, and we are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward. This includes plans to increase maximum penalties for animal cruelty from six months’ to five years’ imprisonment.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 28/02/2019 14:20:59 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1054761

registered interest
date	04/02/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is considering issuing specific guidance on the practice of animal tethering.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	216147
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>Defra is keen to ensure that we uphold our high standards of welfare including in relation to tethering. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) it is an offence to fail to provide for an animal’s welfare or to cause it any unnecessary suffering. The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids (the Code). The Code provides owners and keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals and includes a specific section on how to tether horses and other animals covered. If anyone is concerned about the way a horse or other animal has been tethered they should report the matter either to the relevant local authority or to the RSPCA or World Horse Welfare who can investigate. If a horse or other animal is found not to be tethered appropriately it could lead to a prosecution under the 2006 Act. Defra considers that this legislation and guidance provides the right safeguards in respect of animal tethering.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 07/02/2019 14:16:31 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1129150

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure travel operators do more to prevent the exploitation of captive wild animals.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	259051
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government shares the concerns of the public about this issue and we are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, both here in the UK and in our work with countries abroad. Britain engages with other countries both directly and as part of global forums such as the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health).</p><p> </p><p>Ministers are committed to working to promote the conservation of wild animals worldwide and the Government has been working with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) to encourage them to make customers aware of reported animal welfare issues abroad. It is important that when going abroad, tourists consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that animals have been mistreated before deciding whether to visit an animal attraction. ABTA published <em>Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism</em>. This includes guidance on unacceptable activities which are known to have a detrimental effect on animal welfare, and extended minimum welfare requirements for whales and dolphins.</p><p> </p><p>Defra encourages tourists to report any animal welfare concerns to their UK tour operator or travel agent on return to the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/06/2019 14:49:15 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly