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1128287

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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 recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the Immigration Minister on (a) puppy smuggling and (b) collaboration between Animal and Plant Health Agency and Border Force in tackling that activity.
	tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
	tabling member printed	Alex Norris
	uin	257548
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 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. We are working hard to tackle the problem, targeting both the supply and demand of illegally imported dogs. This approach includes enforcement, international engagement, tighter regulation and public communications.</p><p> </p><p>A meeting with the Immigration Minister, specifically to discuss puppy smuggling, was arranged a few weeks ago for mid-June.</p><p> </p><p>The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) continues to work collaboratively with Border Force at ports and airports, sharing intelligence in order to disrupt illegal imports.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 05/06/2019 11:39:55 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1128303

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Pet Travel Scheme: Cats
	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 kittens and cats entered the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
	tabling member printed	Alex Norris
	uin	257555
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>In 2018, 28,979 cats and kittens entered Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme. This data is not publically available, but is held by the Animal and Plant Agency (APHA). APHA only holds data on the number of pets entering Great Britain (rather than the UK as a whole).</p><p> </p><p>This statistic is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals. It is a true reflection of the information that we have access to, however, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as it is provided to us by third parties.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 05/06/2019 16:48:04 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1128335

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Pet Travel Scheme
	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 information Animal and Plant Health Agency holds on animals imported into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme; and (a) when and (b) for what reasons that Agency stopped recording the country of origin of animals imported under that scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
	tabling member printed	Alex Norris
	uin	257572
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>Currently the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) holds data on the total number of animals entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme, and the number of animals that failed the compliance checks.</p><p> </p><p>APHA stopped recording the country of origin of compliant animals imported under the scheme in 2016. Detailed data on non-compliant pet animals, including the country in which the paperwork accompanying the animal was issued, is always collected.</p><p> </p><p>In previous years the country of origin data was taken from a legacy database (Pets database) which was deployed in 2006 when the throughput of pet animals was much lower. Pet carriers recorded details of pet animals entering Great Britain, including the country of origin.</p><p> </p><p>APHA introduced a new system to establish the quality of the submitted data available from the Pets Database. This new system more accurately records the number of pet animals entering the country but does not record the country in which the paperwork was issued or the country the animal travelled from.</p><p> </p><p>When the new system was introduced to verify throughput figures it was identified that recording the country of origin for compliant animals would place an undue burden on the carriers given the volume of pets travelling (the number of pets entering Great Britain has increased from 91,308 in 2006 to 336,446 in 2018).</p><p> </p><p>Collecting the country of origin data for compliant pet imports has not proved useful in deterring puppy smuggling as it is essentially collecting information on legal movements; however APHA are looking at how this data could be accurately collected in the future and the likely costs that would be involved.</p><p> </p><p>There is no legal requirement for the country of origin to be recorded, and we always relied on the good will of the carriers to record this information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 05/06/2019 16:45:35 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1128308

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Tree Planting
	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 (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take in response to the recommendations on planting trees made by the Climate Change Committee in its report Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming, published in May 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	257400
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Committee on Climate Change published its report on 2 May. We very much welcome this analysis and will be responding in a timeframe that reflects the urgency of this crucial issue.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is driving forward its manifesto commitment to plant 11 million trees over the course of this parliament.</p><p> </p><p>We have kick started a vast Northern Forest, which will see 50 million trees planted from Liverpool to Hull; allocated £10 million to plant new trees in our towns and cities through the urban trees challenge fund; and appointed a Tree Champion to lead our engagement on a new English Tree Strategy. In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced £50 million to help plant new woodlands through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently consulted on Best Practice Guidance and issued the Urban Tree Manual, which support the sustainable management of trees. The National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, encourages better recognition of trees and woodlands for the wider natural capital benefits they can provide.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 257421 question first answered 10/06/2019 14:06:25 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1128314

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Tree Planting
	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 (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take to encourage local authorities to implement the recommendations on planting trees made by the Climate Change Committee in its report Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming, published in May 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	257421
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Committee on Climate Change published its report on 2 May. We very much welcome this analysis and will be responding in a timeframe that reflects the urgency of this crucial issue.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is driving forward its manifesto commitment to plant 11 million trees over the course of this parliament.</p><p> </p><p>We have kick started a vast Northern Forest, which will see 50 million trees planted from Liverpool to Hull; allocated £10 million to plant new trees in our towns and cities through the urban trees challenge fund; and appointed a Tree Champion to lead our engagement on a new English Tree Strategy. In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced £50 million to help plant new woodlands through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently consulted on Best Practice Guidance and issued the Urban Tree Manual, which support the sustainable management of trees. The National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, encourages better recognition of trees and woodlands for the wider natural capital benefits they can provide.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 257400 question first answered 10/06/2019 14:06:25 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1128338

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Horse Racing: 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 reduce the number of race horses killed as a result of horse racing.
	tabling member constituency	Luton South
	tabling member printed	Mr Gavin Shuker
	uin	257574
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses and the BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.</p><p>However, both I and the BHA consider that more can be done to make horseracing safer which is why I have been holding regular discussions with the BHA about this. Most recently on the 14 May, I met with the BHA as well as the new independent Chair of the BHA’s newly appointed Horse Welfare Board. This was a constructive meeting where the number of fatalities of racehorses was acknowledged and both sides agreed that further action is required to tackle avoidable harm and make the sport safer.</p><p>The Board committed to doing all it can to improve welfare outcomes. I stressed the need for the BHA to develop a robust action plan that will deliver tangible results and intend to stay in regular contact with the industry to continue to press for improvements in racehorse welfare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/06/2019 16:54:50 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4013 label Biography information for Mr Gavin Shuker

1128272

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Livestock: Antimicrobials
	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 effectiveness of a preventative approach to animal health in combating antimicrobial resistance; and whether it is his policy that reducing the effect of that resistance is a key public good.
	tabling member constituency	North Cornwall
	tabling member printed	Scott Mann
	uin	257534
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the need to use antibiotics through infection prevention and control in human and animal health is one of a number of cores principles in the UK’s 5 Year National AMR Action Plan and 20 Year Vision. Our Action Plan recognises antimicrobial resistance as a global public good. This is reflected in the high priority the UK gives to addressing the problem of AMR. Since 2014, the sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals in the UK have dropped by 40%. And in the Action Plan, the government has committed to working with vets and farmers to further reduce antibiotic use in animals by 25% between 2016 and 2020, with objectives to be refreshed by 2021.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/06/2019 16:56:41 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4496 label Biography information for Scott Mann

1128273

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Agriculture
	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 support the agricultural sector after the UK leaves the EU; and whether he plans to introduce a distinct and internationally recognised UK standard for agricultural goods based on a high level of animal health and welfare.
	tabling member constituency	North Cornwall
	tabling member printed	Scott Mann
	uin	257535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s plans for agriculture and for supporting the sector as the UK leaves the European Union are underpinned by the Agriculture Bill. The Bill is a central part of the Government’s programme of legislation to deliver as smooth a departure as possible and achieve a green Brexit. At the heart of our new policy in England will be a system that pays public money for public goods. Our future agriculture policy will help farmers continue to provide a supply of healthy, home-grown produce made to high environmental and animal welfare standards.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to putting in place a Gold Standard of metrics which will provide a framework of sustainability metrics, establishing a common vocabulary for environmental and animal welfare measurements in food and farming that can be used across public and private sectors.</p><p> </p><p>We already have some of the highest welfare standards in the world, as well as a number of voluntary labelling schemes which provide assurances as to the welfare of the animals, both of which ensure consumers are not misled by the labelling of products that contain meat or dairy products. Once we leave the EU, we will review food labelling to ensure that we have a framework that meets the needs of UK consumers and producers. Labelling for welfare outcomes is one area that the review will cover.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/06/2019 16:58:59 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4496 label Biography information for Scott Mann