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1354664

	registered interest
	date	10/09/2021
	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	Pets: Imports
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prepare for the requirement for mandatory veterinary health certificates for imports from the EU, that come into force on 1 October.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
	uin	HL2618
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government has set out a new timetable for introducing full import controls for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods being imported from the EU to the UK.</p><p>The new timetable considers the challenges businesses have faced due to the global pandemic, as well as its impact on supply chains across the UK and Europe. The Government believes a more pragmatic timetable will help give businesses time to recover from the pandemic and adjust to the new processes.</p><p>The controls will now be phased in across 2022.</p><p>From 1 July 2022:</p><ul><li>The new requirements for GB Export Health Certificates from EU exporters, which were due to be introduced on 1 October 2021, will now be introduced on 1 July 2022.</li><li>Phytosanitary certificates for lower risk plant produce, due to be introduced on 1 January 2022, will now be introduced on 1 July 2022.</li><li>Physical checks on SPS goods at Border Control Posts will now begin on 1 July 2022.</li></ul><p>All current controls for live animals, products of animal origin under safeguard measures and high priority plants and plant products remain unchanged.</p><p>In addition, the following customs controls will be phased in:</p><ul><li>Full customs declarations and controls will be introduced on 1 January 2022 as previously announced.</li><li>Safety and Security declarations on imports will be required as of 1 July 2022 as opposed to 1 January 2022.</li></ul><p>The new timeline allows importers, exporters and EU certifiers more time to prepare for the requirements and controls. It will ensure we reduce any anticipated disruption when these measures are introduced.</p><p>Defra has been working hard with businesses to ensure they are prepared and has run numerous webinars and advice sessions, attended by around 4,000 businesses.</p><p>Around 4,600 businesses are already registered for the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS). More than 13,000 individual users are registered for IPAFFS.</p><p>The process is simple and only requires a Government Gateway account to register. We have sought to make these processes as straightforward as possible, and many thousands of businesses are already prepared for their introduction.</p><p>Defra is working closely with customs agents who are keen to provide import and export support to businesses. We are looking to provide digital solutions to simplify processes and encouraging more agents to offer pre-notification support and support to EU exporters.</p><p>Pre-notification procedures from January 2022 to July 2022 have been reduced and now mirror the current import process introduced for live animals in January this year, requiring importers or their agents to complete 15 simple information boxes on IPAFFS.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 24/09/2021 11:03:37 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

1001958

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2018
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 changes to the rabies regime he plans for domestic pets crossing the UK's borders in the event that the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
	tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
	uin	188245
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government has no immediate plans to change the rabies regime in the short term following the UK’s departure from the EU. For entry into the UK the current pet travel health requirements will continue to apply, although additional controls could be considered at a later date</p><p><br> The UK harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PTS) rules in 2012. In 2011 we made an assessment of the risk of rabies introduction to the UK. This assessment concluded that the risk of an animal with rabies entering the UK under the PTS was very low. Since then, there have been no cases of rabies in pets entering the UK under the PTS. However, the Government continues to monitor the disease situation and will undertake a further formal risk assessment if evidence indicates that one is warranted.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>When the UK leaves the EU it will be a third country. This means pet animals entering the EU from the UK would need to continue to follow the rules of the PTS. On 24 September this year a Technical Notice ‘<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taking-your-pet-abroad-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/taking-your-pet-abroad-if-theres-no-brexit-deal" target="_blank">Taking your pet abroad if there’s no Brexit deal</a>’ was issued. On 6 November the Government issued follow up guidance and advice on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit" target="_blank">Pet travel to Europe after Brexit</a> in the unlikely event that the UK becomes an unlisted third country.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 16/11/2018 11:48:01 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1037038

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2019
	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	Pets: Imports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Dogs Trust’s recommendations in their report: Puppy Smuggling: When will this cruel trade end?, what plans his Department has to create a centrally accessible database logging pet’s microchip numbers and date of entry into the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	205791
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2019 answer text <p>I have zero tolerance of the abhorrent crime that is puppy smuggling, where unscrupulous dealers are abusing the EU Pet Travel Scheme to illegally traffic puppies into the United Kingdom, with no regard for the welfare of these animals or the biosecurity of the UK. Defra are pursuing a holistic approach to tackling puppy smuggling, which includes working closely with Dogs Trust to tackle the issue. Defra Ministers met senior staff from the charity in November, to discuss the findings of their latest report.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is already a requirement for every dog in the UK to be identified by a microchip and its details to be recorded on a recognised database. This includes dogs imported from outside the UK. Furthermore, all pets entering the UK have their microchip scanned and recorded by the carrier at the time of travel. We do not consider it necessary at this time to introduce an additional database along the lines proposed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/01/2019 11:34:10 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1186151

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 feasibility of relaxing restrictions on the transportation of pets for British nationals repatriating to the UK as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Bosworth
	tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
	uin	31569
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2020 answer text <p>Defra is monitoring the situation and at the current time we do not consider there to be a need to relax restrictions on the transportation of pets for British nationals repatriating to the UK as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We will continue to monitor this closely and will consider specific cases where individuals are not able to fulfil the requirements. Protecting biosecurity and the health of the UK pet population remains a high priority.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 30/03/2020 06:40:20 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans

1216888

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the pet travel scheme, if he will (a) re-introduce (i) the rabies blood test with a wait period in line with the incubation of the disease and (ii) the requirement for dogs and cats to be treated against ticks prior to entry into the UK, (b) shorten the tapeworm treatment window, (c) reduce the number of dogs allowed into the UK at one time under non-commercial rules and (d) bring forward legislative proposals to ensure the welfare of dogs and cats during transport between mainland Europe and the UK.
	tabling member constituency	North Thanet
	tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
	uin	63201
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>Defra takes the issue of puppy smuggling and other illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to puppies and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk. We have legislation in place to ensure those guilty of offences are duly punished.</p><p> </p><p>We are listening to the concerns of stakeholders around future requirements and the Government is developing a range of options to strengthen our efforts to tackle puppy smuggling, taking into consideration the recommendations of stakeholders such as Dogs Trust. The end of the Transition Period may open up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel arrangements. As part of our wider work in this area, we have conducted a renewed rabies risk assessment and have commissioned assessments to understand the risks posed by tapeworms, as well as ticks and tick-borne disease. The results of these will be used to inform our future policy options.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding specific sentencing options, the end of the Transition Period will again present new opportunities. We want to ensure that there are robust controls on disease and animal welfare whilst allowing pet owners to continue to be able to travel to and from the EU with the minimum of disruption.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 63200 63202 question first answered 29/06/2020 15:28:38 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

1222689

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 review the successor to the pet travel scheme before the end of the transition period; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing compulsory tick treatment for pets at UK borders.
	tabling member constituency	East Lothian
	tabling member printed	Kenny MacAskill
	uin	71894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>We are working with the European Commission to ensure pet travel between the UK and EU continues smoothly after January 2021. The UK and Crown Dependencies submitted its application to become a Part 1 listed third country under Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations to the European Commission, and this is our preferred position. We are also planning for the event in which we become an unlisted country with our colleagues in the Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies. The end of the Transition Period may open up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel arrangements which we are evaluating.</p><p> </p><p>Tick surveillance has shown that tick distribution and abundance is changing throughout the UK for many reasons, including habitat and climate change. Small numbers of localised infestations with non-native tick species have been reported in recent years. For these reasons, Defra strongly encourages pet owners to treat their pets to safeguard their animals against ticks and tick transmitted diseases when travelling abroad. Further advice can be obtained from their local vet, and via the Public Health England leaflet available on GOV.UK.</p><p> </p><p>While Defra has no immediate plans to amend the tick controls for pet animals entering the UK, we remain concerned about the threat of ticks and tick-borne disease. A risk assessment is therefore being planned to guide future policy and Defra continues to monitor the disease situation through the Tick Surveillance Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 71893 question first answered 14/07/2020 14:39:06 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4772 label Biography information for Kenny MacAskill

1229245

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) adequacy of existing regulation and enforcement of pet imports, (b) changes in the level of pet imports during the covid-19 lockdown and (c) effect of the UK leaving the EU on importation of (i) puppies and (ii) kittens to the UK.
	tabling member constituency	North West Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
	uin	82544
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Defra takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of the regulation and enforcement of non-commercial pet travel movements, we operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in the world. All pet animals entering Great Britain on approved routes under the EU Pet Travel Scheme undergo documentary and identity checks, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel Scheme, disrupt illegal imports and seize non-compliant animals. Any animals found to be non-compliant with the Pet Travel Scheme rules may be refused entry or detained until compliant.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding changing levels of pet imports (both commercial and non-commercial) during the COVID-19 lockdown, APHA has confirmed that during the initial period of lockdown (March-April 2020), we saw a reduction of pet movements. This increased to relatively routine figures as COVID-19 movement restrictions were eased. On non-commercial pet travel, 14,718 pets were moved into Great Britain in March 2020. Numbers of movements then fell to 1,834 in April 2020 and rose to 4,810 in May 2020. On the commercial imports of cats, dogs and ferrets under the Balai Directive, 2,506 animals were imported into the UK in March 2020, falling to 1,114 in April 2020. Numbers of commercial imports are steadily rising again and now sit at 6,741 for the month of August 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The end of the Transition Period may open up new opportunities for managing our own commercial and non-commercial import and pet travel arrangements. The Government will be considering our pet travel and import arrangements (including for puppies and kittens) as part of cracking down on puppy smuggling in line with our manifesto commitment.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 82461 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:16:42 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1229246

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 potential merits of further restricting the importation of pets from overseas to encourage the rehousing of animals in UK pet rescue facilities.
	tabling member constituency	North West Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
	uin	82545
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Rescue and rehoming centres in this country carry out important work to ensure that unwanted and abandoned animals in the UK are offered the opportunity of a forever home. We advise people seeking to acquire a new pet to first consider adopting from a reputable UK-based pet rescue and rehoming centre.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has been engaging with rescue and rehoming centres to understand their views on, and the possible impacts of, regulating the sector. This follows calls for more transparency for prospective pet owners where there are concerns that pet dealers may masquerade as rehoming centres to circumvent the ban on third-party sales of puppies and kittens. Any proposal to bring forward regulations will be subject to a consultation.</p><p> </p><p>The end of the Transition Period opens up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel and pet import arrangements, including ensuring that there are robust controls on disease and animal welfare.</p><p> </p><p>It is possible that reductions in import volumes may generate increased demand from domestic sources, including from domestic pet rescue facilities. The Government encourages people to source pets responsibly, and our current Petfished campaign is raising the public’s awareness of the consequences of buying from a low-welfare seller and challenging the assumption that it is easy to spot bad practice. The campaign also signposts to resources available to help people make a good decision.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/09/2020 15:59:30 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1229262

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 extent to which illegal puppy and kitten dealers have established themselves as rescue centres to continue their trade (a) in the UK and (b) overseas since the ban on third-party sales of such animals came into force in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	North West Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
	uin	82549
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>No official reports of such activity have been brought to Defra’s attention since the introduction of Lucy’s Law, but anecdotal information provided by respondents to the consultation on commercial third-party sales of puppies and kittens (held in 2019) reflected concerns about profit-driven activity in the rescue and rehoming sector. Defra has been engaging with the sector directly to understand their views and the possible impacts of regulating the sector to improve transparency and accountability. Any proposal to bring forward regulations in England will be subject to a consultation.</p><p> </p><p>Any cases of pet dealers attempting to circumvent the recent ban on third-party sales should be reported to the relevant local authorities, as enforcers of the legislation.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/09/2020 12:53:39 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1229766

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 (a) adequacy of the regulation and enforcement of pet imports, (b) trends in the level of pet imports during the covid-19 outbreak and (c) effect of the UK leaving the EU on pet imports.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	82461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Defra takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of the regulation and enforcement of non-commercial pet travel movements, we operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in the world. All pet animals entering Great Britain on approved routes under the EU Pet Travel Scheme undergo documentary and identity checks, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel Scheme, disrupt illegal imports and seize non-compliant animals. Any animals found to be non-compliant with the Pet Travel Scheme rules may be refused entry or detained until compliant.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding changing levels of pet imports (both commercial and non-commercial) during the COVID-19 lockdown, APHA has confirmed that during the initial period of lockdown (March-April 2020), we saw a reduction of pet movements. This increased to relatively routine figures as COVID-19 movement restrictions were eased. On non-commercial pet travel, 14,718 pets were moved into Great Britain in March 2020. Numbers of movements then fell to 1,834 in April 2020 and rose to 4,810 in May 2020. On the commercial imports of cats, dogs and ferrets under the Balai Directive, 2,506 animals were imported into the UK in March 2020, falling to 1,114 in April 2020. Numbers of commercial imports are steadily rising again and now sit at 6,741 for the month of August 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The end of the Transition Period may open up new opportunities for managing our own commercial and non-commercial import and pet travel arrangements. The Government will be considering our pet travel and import arrangements (including for puppies and kittens) as part of cracking down on puppy smuggling in line with our manifesto commitment.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 82544 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:16:42 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn