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1537548

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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	Cats and Dogs: Meat Products
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the prohibition of the consumption of dog and cat meat within Great Britain.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	74787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2022 answer text <p>HM Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare, including the welfare of dogs and cats.</p><p> </p><p>The United Kingdom is a nation of animal lovers and citizens of this country find the consumption of dog and cat meat inconceivable. HM Government strongly agrees with this view and is appalled by the prospect of dogs or cats being consumed.</p><p> </p><p>HM Government has seen no evidence that dog or cat meat is being sold or consumed in this country.</p><p> </p><p>There are strict rules for food businesses on the slaughter and production of meat for human consumption in the United Kingdom and dog or cat meat would not be permitted under these requirements. We also have specific laws on the sale of food in England which are enforced under the Novel Foods Regulation 2018. These regulations make it an offence to sell dog or cat meat in England.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 08/11/2022 18:50:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1352849

registered interest
date	06/09/2021
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	Livestock: 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 is taking to protect whistle-blowers who report animal abuse on farms.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	43583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2021 answer text <p>There are clear rules in place to protect and manage personal data under the Data Protection Act 2018 and in the eight data principles contained in the General Data Protection Regulation.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) investigates all allegations which raise concerns about the welfare of livestock on farm. APHA staff are provided with specific guidance on data protection rules and their obligations and responsibilities to protect personal information.</p><p> </p><p>Data collected is only used, with permission, for the purposes of investigating a particular case and anyone reporting a suspected welfare issue to the APHA can also request anonymity.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 14/09/2021 11:54:30 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1351583

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Testing
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 she has made of the total percentage of bovine TB tests involving the use of tuberculin that have produced false positives.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	41044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2021 answer text <p>The Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin test, commonly known as the ‘comparative skin test’, is the primary official antemortem test for tuberculosis (TB) in cattle in the UK and Ireland. This test has a very high specificity at standard interpretation of 99.98%, giving on average only one false positive result for every 5,000 to 6,000 uninfected cattle tested.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to determine that a positive bovine TB (bTB) test in any species was actually a false positive result. However, the high specificity of the tests used, combined with the fact that they are often deployed in parts of the country with a high prevalence of bTB (or in herds with known or suspected infection), means that positive test results have a high predictive value. Post-mortem examinations of test positive animals do not always result in the detection of visible lesions of bTB and attempts to culture the bacterium in the laboratory may prove unsuccessful. In such cases this may be because the infection has not progressed to the stage at which definitive confirmation of disease is possible. In other words, absence of visible lesions of bTB at post-mortem examination or negative culture results do not indicate absence of infection in a bTB test-positive animal.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 06/09/2021 09:05:06 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1349656

registered interest
date	22/07/2021
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	Cats and Dogs: Meat
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 recorded instances there have been of the sale of (a) dog and (b) cat meat in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) England since 1 January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	38332
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government has seen no evidence that dog or cat meat is being sold or consumed in this country.</p><p> </p><p>There are strict rules for food businesses on slaughter and production of meat for human consumption in the UK and dog or cat meat would not be permitted under these requirements. We also have specific laws on the sale of food in England which are enforced under the Novel Foods Regulation 2018. These regulations make it an offence to sell dog or cat meat in England.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is a nation of animal lovers and citizens of this country find the consumption of dog and cat meat inconceivable. This Government strongly agrees with this view and is appalled by the prospect of dogs or cats being consumed.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 06/09/2021 16:06:54 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1349660

registered interest
date	22/07/2021
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	Animal Welfare: Farms
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 that animal welfare standards are maintained on farms in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) England.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	38335
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The welfare of farmed animals is protected by comprehensive and robust legislation across England, including West Yorkshire, alongside species-specific welfare codes which provide guidance on how to comply with the legislation.</p><p> </p><p>This Government wants to continue to build on our strong track record for raising the bar when it comes to farm animal welfare. We are delivering a series of ambitious reforms, as outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare which was published in May this year. We are also actively exploring options for improving the UK food system and this includes phasing out of cages.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our plans for future farming, we are co-designing an Animal Health and Welfare Pathway with industry – to promote the production of healthier, higher-welfare animals at a level beyond compliance with current regulations – underpinning our high international reputation for health and welfare and future increases to regulatory standards.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 10/09/2021 13:38:47 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1349661

registered interest
date	22/07/2021
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	Animal Welfare: Transport
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 is taking to ensure the wellbeing of animals during transportation in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	38336
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>At the end of last year we launched a consultation in England and Wales on banning the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening and other improvements to animal welfare in transport. We recently introduced into Parliament the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill which includes measures to ban live animal exports for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain. The Government’s response to the consultation was published on 18 August, outlining how we propose to take forward other improvements.</p><p>We will work closely with industry, NGOs and other stakeholders on our proposed policies to develop practical and workable solutions to improve animal welfare standards during transportation.</p><p>We already have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and these proposals aim to raise those standards even further.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 10/09/2021 13:56:11 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1349662

registered interest
date	22/07/2021
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	Livestock: Auctions
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 the welfare of animals at livestock auctions.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	38337
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The Welfare of Animals at Markets Order 1990 covers the care of animals whilst at livestock auctions. In addition, all animals being transported for a commercial purpose to, and from, a livestock market are covered under regulations on the protection of animals during transport.</p><p>We launched a consultation in England and Wales in 2020 on improvements to the animal welfare in transport regime. We published our response on 18 August, outlining how we propose to take improvements forward.</p><p>We will work closely with industry, NGOs and other stakeholders on our proposed policies to develop practical and workable solutions to improve animal welfare standards.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 10/09/2021 13:40:25 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1349699

registered interest
date	22/07/2021
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	Food: Coronavirus
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 is taking to ensure the logistical security of the UK's food industry during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	38350
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The food industry is very resilient and well equipped to respond to disruption. The industry sectors have highly resilient supply chains, as we have seen throughout the Covid-19 response. The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry to support their preparedness for potential disruptions to the supply chain. We have continued to work closely with stakeholders and industry during this time.</p><p> </p><p>We have worked across Government to introduce measures to make sure businesses can continue to keep essential supplies flowing. These include extending delivery hours to supermarkets and flexing rules on drivers’ hours to allow a higher frequency of deliveries to stores.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the impact that absence rates as a result of Covid-19 have had on some businesses carrying out critical work across the food industry this summer. To enable those who would otherwise not have been able to work to safely do so, the Government introduced Workplace Daily Contact Testing.</p><p> </p><p>As of 16 August 2021, those who are fully vaccinated, participants of approved vaccine trials or those unable to have the vaccine for medical reasons are exempt from self-isolation if they are a close contact of a positive case, though they continue to be advised to take a PCR test. Following these changes, the Workplace Daily Contact Testing scheme continues to provide benefits for contacts who have not yet been fully vaccinated, and those sites wishing to maintain a site continue to be supported.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 10/09/2021 13:20:07 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1348751

registered interest
date	20/07/2021
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	Horses: Animal Breeding
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 are taking to ensure a reduction in the number of foals being produced in the UK every year .
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	36688
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, and we are committed to making the UK a world leader in the protection of animals, including horses.</p><p>To promote responsible ownership, there is clear guidance available to educate and remind horse owners of their responsibilities to provide for the welfare needs of their animal. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids makes clear that you should consider buying or rehoming a youngster before taking the decision to breed. The foal’s individual future must also be considered before breeding from your equine, and the code highlights the UK’s overpopulation problem at the time of publication. The Code can be found here: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F700200%2Fhorses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf&amp;data=04%7C01%7CCAWSTeam%40defra.gov.uk%7C7ad70e2a53e64d5139ed08d921c53f4f%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637577953472497369%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=dcMW6RneHoXhU%2BqzwA273vCbR65DP%2F76M85%2F%2BXTb8s8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf</a></p><p>Further information on responsible breeding is available to the public, including World Horse Welfare’s “Need to Breed” initiative which can be found here: <a href="https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/do-you-need-to-breed" target="_blank">https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/do-you-need-to-breed</a>.</p><p>We continue to have close engagement with key stakeholders in the equine sector and are monitoring the situation regarding the supply of foals.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 28/07/2021 15:10:30 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1348752

registered interest
date	20/07/2021
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	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 assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent body to oversee horse welfare in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	36689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, and we are committed to enhancing our status as a world leader in the protection of animals. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government's main priorities on animal welfare and conservation. In the action plan, we have committed to ensuring that the equine sector addresses key welfare issues such as racehorse fatality levels.</p><p>Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. Anyone who is cruel to an animal faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines. The Code makes clear that owners are responsible for meeting the horse's need for safe and suitable shelter and pasture, whether this is through a livery yard, rented land or land that they own. The Code can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf</a></p><p>The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were developed to help improve welfare standards across a range of activities involving animals that are licensed by local authorities. Under these regulations, hiring out horses in the course of a business for riding or instruction in riding and selling animals as pets in the course of a business are both licensable activities. This includes riding schools, trekking, loan horses, pony parties, hunter hirelings, polo/polocrosse instruction, pony hire, pony and donkey rides.</p><p>The Animal Welfare Committee is an expert committee that advises the Department on the welfare of animals. This includes farmed, companion and wild animals kept by people. Please see further details here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/animal-welfare-committee-awc" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/animal-welfare-committee-awc</a></p><p>Defra considers that current legislation and guidance provides the right safeguards and powers in respect of protecting horse welfare. We will continue to engage with key stakeholders to see if more can be done to spread best practice among horse owners, as well as increased partnership working with the equine welfare sector in order to tackle equine welfare issues.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 36690 question first answered 28/07/2021 15:12:21 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns