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1127841

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
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 Act 2006
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 provide local authorities with the resources to enforce the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
tabling member constituency	Luton South
tabling member printed	Mr Gavin Shuker
uin	256989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bridgend, Madeleine Moon, on 22 May 2019, PQ 256270.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 04/06/2019 12:16:47 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4013 label Biography information for Mr Gavin Shuker

1127469

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
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	Horses: 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 horse owners comply with his Department's tethering guidelines.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	256224
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Following representations from some equine bodies, I will be meeting a number of groups, including the British Horse Council who coordinate the views of the sector, to discuss the issue of tethering. Information on how to tether a horse is contained within the statutory <em>Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids</em>, which sets out guidance to keepers on how to provide for the welfare needs of their equidae, as required by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The RSPCA, World Horse Welfare and local authority inspectors carry copies of the Code of Practice with them when called out to investigate complaints about the welfare of horses. They inform owners, by referring to the relevant part of the code, how to care for their animals including in relation to tethering.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/05/2019 11:12:16 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1127482

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many officials in his Department have been seconded away from their normal duties to work on the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what effect that secondment of staff has had on the effectiveness of his Department.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	256200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2019 answer text <p>Over 80% of Defra’s agenda is affected by the UK’s departure from the EU and as a result many roles across the Defra group are now supporting exit related work, either directly or indirectly.</p><p> </p><p>Departments continually review workforce plans and reprioritise and assess changing needs, which includes identification and cessation of non-priority work where appropriate. The Civil Service as a whole is working to ensure that exit implementation is carried out to a high standard without impacting public service delivery across the whole of Government.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 29/05/2019 16:15:39 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

1127527

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
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	Dogs: Smuggling
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 the Government is taking to tackle the unlawful smuggling of dogs and puppies.
tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
uin	256263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Defra takes the issue of the smuggling of dogs and puppies seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to the smuggled dogs and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk.</p><p> </p><p>We are working hard to tackle the problem, targeting both the supply and demand of illegally imported dogs. This approach includes enforcement through increased resourcing and partnership working at ports, international engagement, and sales and licensing. We are also helping the public to understand how they can responsibly buy or adopt a dog.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/05/2019 12:49:44 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1127633

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
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	Birds: 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 potential merits of banning the practice of caging agricultural birds; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	256217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare and the welfare of our farmed livestock in all systems is protected by comprehensive and robust legislation. This is backed up by statutory species specific welfare codes, which encourage high standards of husbandry and which keepers are required by law to have access to and be familiar with. Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency inspectors and local authorities conduct inspections on farms to check that the animal welfare standards are being met.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever the system of production, the most important factor in determining animal welfare is good stockmanship and the correct application of husbandry standards. This reflects the advice of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee.</p><p> </p><p>We have already banned cages or close confinement systems where there is clear scientific evidence that they are detrimental to animal health and welfare. For example, we banned the use of conventional (‘battery’) cages for laying hens in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The new statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Laying Hens and Pullets, which came into force last year, provides improved and up-to-date guidance on welfare legislation and reflects the latest scientific and veterinary advice. I am aware that all major supermarkets have said they will stop selling eggs from hens kept in enriched cages by 2025.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/05/2019 11:19:32 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1127696

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
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	Greyhounds: China
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 accuracy of reports that UK-born and trained greyhounds are being kept in poor conditions for breeding in China; whether his Department has plans to prevent the future export of greyhounds from the UK to China; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Poplar and Limehouse
tabling member printed	Jim Fitzpatrick
uin	256194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government takes the welfare of all racing animals very seriously, including once their racing careers have ended.</p><p> </p><p>The Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA), which grants certification for the commercial exports of dogs and records information regarding the commercial movement of animals, has confirmed that they do not have any records of greyhounds being exported to China for commercial purposes during 2017 or 2018.</p><p> </p><p>The Greyhound Board of Great Britain have made clear that they do not support the export of greyhounds to countries where welfare standards cannot be verified. They keep records of all dogs running and once a dog is retired the owner or trainer is required to state where the dog will be relocated to.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 28/05/2019 15:02:17 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	197 label Biography information for Jim Fitzpatrick

1127329

registered interest
date	17/05/2019
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2019 to Question 237159 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from the Environment Agency (a) since June 2016, (b) in the last 12 months and (c) in the last month.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	255696
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>The information provided is taken as at 30 April 2019.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Secondments from EA</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Of which are still working in the department* </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>a) June 2016 – All secondments from EA to Defra from June 2016 to April 2019.</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>74</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>12</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>b) Last 12 Months – Those whose secondments started between May 2018 and April 2019. These are included in the number above.</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>7</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Less than 5</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>c) April 2019 – Those whose secondments started in April 2019. These are included in both figures above.</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>*These are the number of staff whose secondments have not yet come to an end, and are therefore still working in Defra. Those whose secondments have come to an end will have returned to the Environment Agency.</p><p> </p><p>Secondments usually last for two years, however we would expect there to be some variation in length dependant on business needs.</p><p> </p><p>We have chosen to withhold the information relating to the number of staff still in the department whose secondments started in the last 12 months in line with GDPR regulations, as it relates to less than 5 members of staff and therefore there is a risk they may be identified.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/05/2019 13:16:32 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1126512

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
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	Veterinary Medicine: Migrant Workers
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 estimate he has made of the number of additional accredited vets that will be required in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Ashford
tabling member printed	Damian Green
uin	254054
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, all animals, products of animal origin (POAO), fish, shellfish, crustaceans, germplasm or fishery products exported from the UK to the EU will require an export health certificate (EHC). EHCs have to be certified by either a suitably accredited Official Veterinarian (OV) or, in the case of fish and fish products, either an OV or an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) employed by a local authority.</p><p> </p><p>Defra does not employ OVs or EHOs so we have engaged with the private sector and local government to identify means of increasing the number of authorised signatories available. From February we have provided free training for vets to become accredited to sign EHCs. Over 300 vets have completed the training, an increase of just under 50% in the total number of suitably qualified OVs.</p><p> </p><p>To support OVs we also created a new role of Certification Support Officer (CSO). A CSO can handle preparatory and administrative aspects of EHCs (checking documents, identifying products or sealing containers). This will free up OV time and capacity to provide the final assurance required. The number of qualified CSOs stands at 84.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 22/05/2019 16:28:47 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	76 label Biography information for Damian Green