Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what enforcement and controls they have put in place on the import of puppies.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Dogs must be over 15 weeks of age to be imported into the United Kingdom. Those imported from EU Member States are required to have an Intra Trade Animal Health Certificate (ITAHC) and valid pet passport. These documents confirm their health preparation and, along with a microchip, the animals’ identity. Dogs being imported into the UK must have an examination prior to embarkation from an Official Veterinarian (OV). The OV confirms it meets the import requirements of the UK and issues an ITAHC.
Dogs imported from non-EU countries go through a similar process. The health preparation requirements and certification, however, differ according to the disease status of the country of origin.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out risk-based checks on dogs that have been imported into Great Britain. During these checks, APHA ensures that these dogs meet the import requirements. Local authorities are responsible for taking enforcement action when dogs are not compliant with the import rules. Should APHA checks identify that a dog has been imported, but is not compliant with the import rules, the relevant local authority will be informed.
Dogs and puppies moving into the country with their owners must meet the requirements of the pet travel scheme, meaning that they must be accompanied by a pet passport or certificate confirming that they have undergone adequate health preparation to enable them to enter the UK safely.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what incentives they are putting in place in conjunction with manufacturers to deliver wholly recyclable plastic bottles and cups.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Plastic bottles and plastic cups are usually recyclable. More than 45 packaging companies and retailers are working together through the Paper Cup Manifesto to significantly increase paper cup recycling by 2020.
As part of our Litter Strategy we have established a working group to look at potential voluntary and regulatory measures to reduce litter and improve recycling behaviour by consumers. This working group is looking at drinks containers.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with business regarding incentives to reduce the use of non-recyclable plastic bottles and cups; and what, if any, such incentives they are planning to introduce.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Plastic bottles and plastic cups are usually recyclable. More than 45 packaging companies and retailers are working together through the Paper Cup Manifesto to significantly increase paper cup recycling by 2020.
As part of our Litter Strategy we have established a working group to look at potential voluntary and regulatory measures to reduce litter and improve recycling behaviour by consumers. This working group is looking at drinks containers.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what welfare measures they are taking to reduce or eliminate the export of live animals from the UK.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Once we leave the European Union, and in line with our manifesto commitment, we can take early steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter. We are considering all options.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many puppy dealers have been (1) prosecuted, or (2) fined for selling puppies without a licence.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The number of defendants that have been proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and thereafter been found guilty and sentenced at all courts for running a breeding establishment for dogs without a licence from a local authority, in England and Wales, from 2011 to 2015, can be viewed in the table below. It is possible that others may have been prosecuted under the Pet Animals Act 1951 for selling dogs without a pet shop licence. Records held for convictions under the 1951 Act do not, however, show what species of animal were involved.
Prosecutions under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973
Outcome | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
Proceeded against | - | - | 1 | 5 | 7 |
Found guilty | - | - | - | 5 | 5 |
Sentenced | - | - | - | 5 | 5 |
Fined | - | - | - | 4 | 5 |
The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. It is important to note, however, that this data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services – Ministry of Justice. Data extracted on 9 December 2016
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government proposes to modernise the laws on Animal Establishments Licensing Schemes including the laws that regulate dog breeding and selling. This proposal was supported by the majority of those that responded to our earlier public consultation.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to minimise the illegal trafficking of puppies.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra takes the issue of illegal trafficking of puppies very seriously. The action we have taken to tackle illegal puppy movements covers the key areas in the supply of trafficked puppies. Responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. Where puppies have been discovered to have been moved into the UK using falsely certified pet passport paperwork my officials have raised the issue with authorities in the relevant countries. We also have effective border controls in place. These require all pet animals travelling into Great Britain on approved routes to have documentary and identity checks at the border. There are stringent penalties available against individual found to be breaking the rules by illegally moving dogs into the country.
Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have and continue to work constructively with other government agencies and animal welfare charities to share intelligence on illegal movements of puppies. APHA has provided Border Force officials with the requirements that dogs and puppies entering the UK must meet. APHA works closely with Border Force colleagues to assist them in reducing the illegal trafficking of puppies.
Finally the illegal trafficking of puppies is ultimately driven by demand. Defra has published guidance for consumers on the responsible purchase of pet animals. It has worked closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements making potential pet owners and website operators more aware of rogue dealers and this work will continue.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have given to Border Force regarding the illegal trafficking of puppies.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra takes the issue of illegal trafficking of puppies very seriously. The action we have taken to tackle illegal puppy movements covers the key areas in the supply of trafficked puppies. Responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. Where puppies have been discovered to have been moved into the UK using falsely certified pet passport paperwork my officials have raised the issue with authorities in the relevant countries. We also have effective border controls in place. These require all pet animals travelling into Great Britain on approved routes to have documentary and identity checks at the border. There are stringent penalties available against individual found to be breaking the rules by illegally moving dogs into the country.
Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have and continue to work constructively with other government agencies and animal welfare charities to share intelligence on illegal movements of puppies. APHA has provided Border Force officials with the requirements that dogs and puppies entering the UK must meet. APHA works closely with Border Force colleagues to assist them in reducing the illegal trafficking of puppies.
Finally the illegal trafficking of puppies is ultimately driven by demand. Defra has published guidance for consumers on the responsible purchase of pet animals. It has worked closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements making potential pet owners and website operators more aware of rogue dealers and this work will continue.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that departments assist projects such as the British Coatings Federation’s PaintCare project.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government welcomes the PaintCare initiative and is working constructively with the British Coating Federation in relation to several aspects of the project. This includes identifying potential regulatory barriers to the recycling and re-manufacturing of paint and how these might be overcome, as well as providing opportunities to raise awareness of the potential benefits of PaintCare, for example at the G7 Alliance for Resource Efficiency conference in Berlin last October.
My Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), spoke at the Parliamentary launch of PaintCare’s interim report in November. The Waste and Resources Action Programme has also been working with PaintCare to provide information to consumers on how to recycle and dispose of household paint, through the Recycle Now campaign.