Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Kenny MacAskill, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Kenny MacAskill has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Kenny MacAskill has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Kenny MacAskill has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Since 2016–17 it has been a requirement to publish the amounts paid for each financial year and these can be found on the Parliament website. The short money and Representative Money provided to each political party on an annual basis since 2015 can be found in the pdf attachment.
The Short Money and Representative Money allocations scheduled to be paid for the current financial year (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023) are as follows:
Short/Representative Money Allocations 2022/2023 | ||
Party | 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 | |
Main Allocation | Travel Budget | |
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) | £202,484.60 | £5,018.85 |
Green Party | £187,111.20 | £4,637.76 |
Labour Party | £6,812,568.25 | £146,451.25 |
Liberal Democrats | £929,590.70 | £23,040.69 |
Plaid Cymru | £110,875.00 | £2,748.13 |
Scottish National Party (SNP) | £1,149,355.15 | £28,487.72 |
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) | £110,875.00 | £2,748.13 |
Sinn Fein * | £171,032.15 | £4,239.21 |
* Representative Money | ||
Information on previous budget allocations for Short Money and Representative Money can also be found on the App3 tab here:
Data sheets for Library briefing on Short Money (44 KB, Excel Spreadsheet)
I have rebooted our university access regime to focus on real social mobility.
Universities are being asked to set new targets on improving attainment in schools, reducing drop out rates and increasing degree apprenticeships.
We are also launching a new National State Scholarship for high achieving young people from lower income households, helping them to fulfil their dreams at university, at a college or in an apprenticeship.
Since 28 January 2021, The Model Tenancy Agreement webpage has received 169,679 page views. In the same timeframe, there have been 92,108 downloads of the online version of the document, and 61,390 downloads of the print version.
It is absolutely critical that victims of domestic abuse get support and especially when they are in housing need. That is why we legislated through the Domestic Abuse Act to give people who are homeless as a result of being a victim of domestic abuse priority need for accommodation. Housing authorities should be sensitive to the importance of pets to applicants, particularly rough sleepers and domestic abuse survivors who may rely on pets for companionship. Although it will not always be possible to make provision for pets in temporary accommodation, housing authorities should give careful consideration to this aspect when making provision for applicants who wish to retain their pet.
Victims of domestic abuse with pets can face additional barriers to leaving an abusive relationship. Under the new statutory duties in the Domestic Abuse Act which came into force on 1 October 2021, local authorities must provide support for all victims of domestic abuse within safe accommodation when they need it. This includes victims who have a pet.
Associated regulations provide clear definitions of safe accommodation under the duty. This includes dispersed, self-contained accommodation, and sanctuary schemes in which the victim’s own home is made safe. Local authorities can refer to the regulations to help them provide support in safe accommodation suitable for victims with pets fleeing domestic abuse.
To bolster the available accommodation for some of our contractors supporting the operational delivery of COP26, we have procured two ferries which will be berthed on the outskirts of Glasgow.
There will be no delegates or accredited visitors staying on the vessels.
COP26 is targeting carbon neutral using the standard PAS206. The carbon footprint analysis for this will incorporate all emissions generated from activities that are integral to hosting the event, including those of the two cruise ships.
To bolster the available accommodation for some of our contractors supporting the operational delivery of COP26, we have procured two ferries which will be berthed on the outskirts of Glasgow.
There will be no delegates or accredited visitors staying on the vessels.
COP26 is targeting carbon neutral using the standard PAS206. The carbon footprint analysis for this will incorporate all emissions generated from activities that are integral to hosting the event, including those of the two cruise ships.
To bolster the available accommodation for some of our contractors supporting the operational delivery of COP26, we have procured two ferries which will be berthed on the outskirts of Glasgow.
There will be no delegates or accredited visitors staying on the vessels.
COP26 is targeting carbon neutral using the standard PAS206. The carbon footprint analysis for this will incorporate all emissions generated from activities that are integral to hosting the event, including those of the two cruise ships.
To bolster the available accommodation for some of our contractors supporting the operational delivery of COP26, we have procured two ferries which will be berthed on the outskirts of Glasgow.
There will be no delegates or accredited visitors staying on the vessels.
COP26 is targeting carbon neutral using the standard PAS206. The carbon footprint analysis for this will incorporate all emissions generated from activities that are integral to hosting the event, including those of the two cruise ships.
Accommodation and incidental costs for police officers and security staff directly involved in the delivery of COP26 will be drawn from the Cabinet Office COP26 budget.
The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council across all planning for COP26. Any additional policing or security costs that are directly attributable to COP26 will be met by the UK Government.
Accommodation and incidental costs for police officers and security staff directly involved in the delivery of COP26 will be drawn from the Cabinet Office COP26 budget.
The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council across all planning for COP26. Any additional policing or security costs that are directly attributable to COP26 will be met by the UK Government.
Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the gov.uk website. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.
In respect of the two prosecuting agencies I superintend – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) - neither have had any cases of malicious prosecution upheld against them since 1999.
The Government defended a petition for Judicial Review in relation to the prorogation of Parliament in 2019 raised by Joanna Cherry QC MP and others in (1) the Outer House in the Court of Session, (2) the Inner House of the Court of Session, and (3) the Supreme Court where it was joined with R (on the application of Miller) (Appellant) v The Prime Minister (Respondent).
The Office of the Advocate General and Government Legal Department have determined that the total legal costs incurred by the Government in relation to the Cherry litigation in the Outer and Inner Houses of the Court of Session was £83,715 (net of VAT). The total legal costs incurred by the Government in the Supreme Court in relation to Cherry was £83,715 (net of VAT), and in relation to Miller was £142,590. These figures include Counsel fees, Government Legal Department litigator costs and court dues.
The Government also incurred £30,000 in adverse costs in relation to the Cherry proceedings. It is not possible to attribute these costs between proceedings in the different courts.
The Government defended a petition for Judicial Review in relation to the prorogation of Parliament in 2019 raised by Joanna Cherry QC MP and others in (1) the Outer House in the Court of Session, (2) the Inner House of the Court of Session, and (3) the Supreme Court, where it was joined with R (on the application of Miller) (Appellant) v The Prime Minister (Respondent).
The Office of the Advocate General and Government Legal Department have determined that the total costs of defending this litigation were £127,062.33 (net of VAT). This figure includes Counsel fees, Government Legal Department litigator costs and court dues. The Government also incurred £30,000 in adverse costs.
The new Government Information Cell (GIC) draws together expertise from across government including but not limited to FCDO, DCMS, MoD and CO experts in assessment and analysis and counter-disinformation. The GIC was set up to identify and counter Russian disinformation targeted at UK and international audiences.
The staff deployed into the Cell continue to be paid for by their home departments - there are no additional staffing costs. The running and programme costs are being established but will be within existing budgets, including from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.
Upon her retirement from the Civil Service, the outgoing permanent secretary will receive payments under the terms of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. Details of all relevant payments will be published by the Scottish Government in their 2021-22 annual accounts in due course.
Significant engagement between the UK Government and the devolved administrations takes place every day. Officials working for the governments of the UK and Scotland are part of the same Civil Service and share the same culture and values, as set out in the Civil Service Code.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
Kenny MacAskill MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
20 October 2021
Dear Mr MacAskill,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what the tax revenues raised in Scotland were from (a) tax on dividends, (b) corporation tax and (c) capital gains tax in each of the last 10 years (58513); and how much tax revenue was raised from the (a) North East and (b) South East region of England from (a) tax on dividends, (b) corporation tax and (c) capital gains tax in each of the last 10 years (58514).
Tax revenues by region of the UK are published annually by the Office for National Statistics as part of the Country and Regional Public Sector Finances (CRPSF)1, and these include estimates for corporation tax and capital gains tax. Taxes on dividends are not presented separately within the CRPSF publication and are instead included within estimates of income tax. A breakdown of taxes on dividends is unavailable. I further note that corporation tax amounts quoted exclude Offshore / North Sea corporation tax. Therefore, a table showing income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and offshore corporation tax receipts for Scotland, the North East, and the South East for financial years 2010/11 to 2019/20 has been provided.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
Kenny MacAskill MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
20 October 2021
Dear Mr MacAskill,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what the tax revenues raised in Scotland were from (a) tax on dividends, (b) corporation tax and (c) capital gains tax in each of the last 10 years (58513); and how much tax revenue was raised from the (a) North East and (b) South East region of England from (a) tax on dividends, (b) corporation tax and (c) capital gains tax in each of the last 10 years (58514).
Tax revenues by region of the UK are published annually by the Office for National Statistics as part of the Country and Regional Public Sector Finances (CRPSF)1, and these include estimates for corporation tax and capital gains tax. Taxes on dividends are not presented separately within the CRPSF publication and are instead included within estimates of income tax. A breakdown of taxes on dividends is unavailable. I further note that corporation tax amounts quoted exclude Offshore / North Sea corporation tax. Therefore, a table showing income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and offshore corporation tax receipts for Scotland, the North East, and the South East for financial years 2010/11 to 2019/20 has been provided.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
The Government considers that it is important to remain a Party to the Energy Charter Treaty and support its modernisation, as the Government believes that a renegotiated Energy Charter Treaty will remain valuable in supporting clean energy investment in the future.
The Government welcomes the role of the Energy Charter Treaty in ensuring consistent legal protection for UK investors operating abroad. This allows UK companies, investing in countries that have signed the Treaty, to enjoy more protection for their assets, including those involved in renewable energy production.
Seabed leasing rounds are the responsibility of The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland. It is for them to set the parameters and run the rounds. The Government is not involved in the process.
The Government outlined its proposals for limited partnership reform in December 2018 in response to a consultation (link here). The reforms will modernise Limited Partnership law, helping to tackle illicit activity and the abuse of Scottish Limited Partnerships. The proposals include tightening registration requirements, requiring limited partnerships to demonstrate a firmer connection to the United Kingdom, increasing transparency requirements, and enabling the Registrar to strike from the register limited partnerships which are dissolved, or which are no longer carrying on business. The Government will be reforming the relevant legislation through the forthcoming Economic Crime and Transparency Bill.
Officials have had an active dialogue with counterparts from the Sottish Government and most recently met on 2 March 2022 to discuss Scottish Limited Partnerships. I anticipate that they will have further exchanges on this subject in due course.
The official statistics on companies and the total size of the register are made publicly available online by Companies House. The most recent data can be found in this link here and show that 5,706 limited partnerships were incorporated in Scotland in 2015/16, 4,932 in 2016/17, 2,689 in 2017/18, 751 in 2018/19, 657 in 2019/20 and 591 in 2020/21.
This is a regulatory matter for Ofgem.
Decisions on licensing are for the independent regulator, Ofgem.
Information on the supply market and licenced suppliers can be found at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/retail-market-indicators.
When an energy supplier becomes insolvent, Ofgem has to the power to either appoint a Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) or seek consent from the BEIS Secretary of State to apply for an energy supply company administration order (SAR). This is a judgment for Ofgem, who take into account the specifics of the failed supplier and the circumstances in the supply market at the time.
The Price Cap protects 4 million pre-payment meter customers, ensuring those customers pay a fair price for their energy. The costs of managing prepayment meters compared to standard meters are higher due to the different metering requirements and different payment systems. Supply Licence Conditions, as enforced by Ofgem, stipulate charges must reflect the cost to the supplier.
The UK Government has not received representations from the Scottish Government on unregulated fuels such as heating oil.
The UK Government has not received representations from the Scottish Government on unregulated fuels such as heating oil.
The principal source of information on households off the gas grid is the English Housing Survey and its equivalent surveys in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which provide data on heating system types and other household characteristics:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey
https://gov.wales/household-estimates
https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-house-condition-survey/
https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-housing-statistics-2020-21.
Network utilities, such as the gas and electricity markets, are considered natural monopolies, characterised by high fixed costs. The heating oil, LPG and solid fuel markets do not share these characteristics, and so are not regulated by Ofgem.
The Government keeps the operation of consumer markets under review, but there are no plans for new regulation of these markets.
The Government is committed to ensuring that support is provided to help consumers deal with the impact of high wholesale energy costs.
UK Energy use is regularly published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-trends. This covers energy trends that focus on the supply and demand of coal, oil, gas, electricity and renewables in the United Kingdom.
The Department collects meter point electricity and gas consumption data. This meter point data is published annually in subnational electricity and gas consumption statistics. The data also forms part of the National Energy Efficiency Data-Framework, which provides electricity and gas consumption estimates for different property and household characteristics, and estimated consumption savings arising from installation of different energy efficiency measures.
Departmental estimates of domestic consumption are available in Table C9 of Energy Consumption in the UK. These estimates are based on the total amount of energy consumed in the UK divided by the number of households (for electricity consumption) and the number of gas customers (for gas consumption).
Monthly outturn data showing domestic electricity consumption are available at:
Data on domestic gas consumption are published on a quarterly basis only and are available at:
The Department does not publish forecasts of monthly consumption for either electricity or gas.
It is the regulator, Ofgem and not BEIS’s responsibility to monitor energy supply companies’ performance in the energy retail market. Standard Licence Condition 32 in the supply licence requires energy suppliers to submit information to Ofgem, Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland on their dealings with gas and electricity customers in a variety of areas and includes data on disconnections carried out by the licensee. The data is published on Ofgem’s Customer Service portal on its website at:
It is the regulator, Ofgem and not BEIS’s responsibility to monitor energy supply companies’ performance in the energy retail market. Standard Licence Condition 32 in the supply licence requires energy suppliers to submit information to Ofgem, Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland on their dealings with gas and electricity customers in a variety of areas and includes data on disconnections carried out by the licensee. The data is published on Ofgem’s Customer Service portal on its website at:
Electricity consumption in the nine English regions and each UK nation (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is published annually in subnational electricity consumption statistics. Gas consumption in the nine English regions and each UK nation (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is published annually in subnational gas consumption statistics.
Total energy consumption in the nine English regions and each UK nation is published annually in subnational total final energy consumption. This includes road transport and residual fuels, in addition to electricity and gas.
Total supply of energy in the UK is published annually in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics and quarterly in Energy Trends.
Data from Ofgem’s most recent Consumer Engagement Survey, published in April 2021, is displayed by the number of hours of disconnection nationally across Great Britain, not by region or UK nation.
The UK’s energy consumption has been on a long-term downward trend as a result of improved energy efficiency and structural changes to the economy. This trend will continue as the economy transitions towards net zero emissions by 2050. Shorter-term fluctuations in energy consumption are highly weather dependent - energy consumption is lower in the spring and summer and then rises in the autumn and winter. Domestic energy consumers in Great Britain will receive a £200 discount on their energy bills this Autumn, part of the Government’s £9.1 billion package of support to help households with rising energy bills.
The Regulator Ofgem monitors prepayment meter customers’ experiences with the energy market. Ofgem’s most recent Consumer Engagement Survey, published in April 2021, suggested that 21% of prepayment meter customers households had temporarily been disconnected from their supply. This report is available online at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/consumer-survey-2020-update-consumer-engagement-energy
The Price Cap continues to ensure that 22 million households, including the 4 million who use a pre-payment meter, pay a fair price for their energy.
In addition, Ofgem’s new licence conditions rules protect Prepayment Meter customers at risk of self-disconnection and include requirements on suppliers to offer emergency and friendly-hours credit to all these customers and to offer additional support credit to customers in vulnerable circumstances.
When appointing a member to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority board, careful consideration is given by the Chair and Ministers to ensure the Board holds the relevant knowledge and experience to be an effective governance body.
Ofgem is the British energy regulator and so this remains a reserved matter. The Chair and non-executive members of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority are appointed by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Ofgem is the British energy regulator and so this remains a reserved matter. The Chair and non-executive members of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority are appointed by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Ofgem is the British energy regulator and so this remains a reserved matter. The Chair and non-executive members of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority are appointed by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
This is a matter for the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority board. The Government is not aware that any member has a particular focus for regulatory matters relating to Scotland.
The setting of tariffs is a commercial decision for energy suppliers. Since 2016, suppliers have been able to offer a greater range of tariffs to accommodate different customer needs, including tariffs with a low or even zero standing charge.
The payment of a standing charge reflects the fixed costs of providing and maintaining supply, regardless of energy usage, including meter rental, meter readings, accounting and billing and maintenance of the energy network. Tariffs with a low or zero standing charge attract a much higher unit rate to ensure these fixed supply costs are met.
The Government recognises the link between fuel poverty and ill health. Energy efficiency improvements remain the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term. Fuel poverty is a devolved matter, and support for low income and vulnerable households is available through schemes such as the Local Authority Delivery Scheme and the Energy Company Obligation. Financial support for energy bills is available nationally through the Warm Home Discount, Cold Weather Payment and Winter Fuel Payment.
In addition, a new package of support to help households with their energy bills was announced on the 3 February. This includes a £200 discount on household energy bills this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain; a £150 non-repayable rebate on Council Tax bills for all households in Council Tax Bands A-D in England; and an additional £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who are not eligible for the Council Tax rebate.
The Government replaced Social Tariffs in the energy sector with the Warm Home Discount Scheme from 2011. The Warm Home Discount scheme provides £140 in data matched, targeted support and from 2022/23 this will provide £150 to an extra 780,000 households, with around 2.7million households to receive support every year.
The Government is very aware of the difficulties that consumers have experienced as a result of the rise in energy prices. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new package of support to help households with their energy bills on 3 February. This includes a £200 discount on household energy bills this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain; a £150 non-repayable rebate on Council Tax bills for all households in Council Tax Bands A-D in England; and an additional £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who are not eligible for the Council Tax rebate.
Under the scope of the Offshore Transmission Network Review, National Grid ESO is currently working on a Holistic Network Design which will provide a national blueprint for how the offshore and onshore electricity network needs to evolve to facilitate UK 2030 offshore wind targets. Officials from Scottish Government, Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland, as well as relevant statutory national bodies, are all directly involved in the Review and sit on its various governance fora.
The provision and regulation of network assets, including subsea cables, is a matter for Ofgem in its role as regulator, in conjunction with network operators. Officials engage regularly with the Scottish Government on electricity network matters.
Offshore wind projects in Scotland pay rent to Crown Estate Scotland, which in turn pays its profits into the Scottish Consolidated Fund. In Financial Year 2020/21, Crown Estate Scotland’s revenue from its Marine portfolio (which also includes non-offshore wind activities) was £8.9 million.
The Government is committed to the protection of workers’ rights for those in offshore employment.
The vast majority of employment rights in the UK are enforced by individuals through employment tribunals. The state enforces certain specific rights (national minimum wage, regulations on employment businesses, employment agencies, and certain labour providers involved in shellfish gathering and fresh produce supply). The relevant enforcement body in each area will take any action necessary to protect the workers within their remit, and to ensure that the records kept by employers, employment agencies, employment business, and labour providers meet the requirements of their respective legislation.
The right to the national minimum wage is enforced by HMRC. Since 2015, the Government has ordered employers to repay £100m to 1 million workers who had been underpaid. Businesses employing offshore workers may come under several Companies House sectors. The Low Pay Commission does not determine offshore workers as being at high risk of underpayment.
The Government is committed to the protection of workers’ rights for those in offshore employment. In 2020, the Government extended minimum wage entitlement to seafarers on domestic voyages. The Government expects all employers to comply with UK employment law.
The Government is committed to the protection of workers’ rights for those in offshore employment.
The vast majority of employment rights in the UK are enforced by individuals through employment tribunals. The state enforces certain specific rights (national minimum wage, regulations on employment businesses, employment agencies, and certain labour providers involved in shellfish gathering and fresh produce supply). The relevant enforcement body in each area will take any action necessary to protect the workers within their remit, and to ensure that the records kept by employers, employment agencies, employment business, and labour providers meet the requirements of their respective legislation.
The right to the national minimum wage is enforced by HMRC. Since 2015, the Government has ordered employers to repay £100m to 1 million workers who had been underpaid. Businesses employing offshore workers may come under several Companies House sectors. The Low Pay Commission does not determine offshore workers as being at high risk of underpayment.
Following a decision by EDF to close one of their nuclear power stations, which would be taken in consultation with the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the first phase of closure is defueling, and this takes several years with continued use of EDF’s uniquely experienced teams, and specialist supply chain companies, preserving jobs in a local community. A closure decision by EDF does not result in any specific additional support or resource being provided for the local authority in which the power station is located.
Following the defueling phase for the seven EDF-owned Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor power stations (all of which are due to close by 2028), each station will transfer to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to deliver the subsequent decommissioning activity. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has a duty to ensure that decommissioning activities benefit local communities and provide a beneficial legacy once decommissioning work is completed.
The Government is committed to the protection of workers’ rights for those in offshore employment. In 2020 the Government extended minimum wage entitlement to seafarers on domestic voyages. The Government expects all employers to comply with UK employment law.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not received any direct communications from the Scottish Government on offshore oil and gas developments other than on the Cambo field recently.
The North Sea Transition Deal includes a commitment from industry for 50% of decommissioning spend to be within the UK. The Supply Chain and Exports Taskforce, that reports to the North Sea Transition Forum, is currently working to ensure all necessary support and guidance is in place to enable this commitment to be met.
All workers in UK territorial seas are entitled to employment rights, including the minimum wage. In 2020 the Government extended minimum wage entitlement also to seafarers on domestic voyages. The Government expects that all employers will comply with UK employment law.
The Government uses the Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings (ASHE) to estimate minimum wage underpayment by sector. Offshore renewables workers are not well defined by any single standard industry classification (SIC) code and may come under several sectors, e.g. manufacturing or electricity generation. The Low Pay Commission does not define offshore renewables workers as a low-paying sector and therefore we do not expect there to be a large number of low paid workers within the sector.
All workers in UK territorial seas are entitled to employment rights, including the minimum wage. In 2020 the Government extended minimum wage entitlement also to seafarers on domestic voyages. The Government expects that all employers will comply with UK employment law.
The Government uses the Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings (ASHE) to estimate minimum wage underpayment by sector. Offshore renewables workers are not well defined by any single standard industry classification (SIC) code and may come under several sectors, e.g. manufacturing or electricity generation. The Low Pay Commission does not define offshore renewables workers as a low-paying sector and therefore we do not expect there to be a large number of low paid workers within the sector.
All workers in UK territorial seas are entitled to employment rights, including the minimum wage. In 2020 the Government extended minimum wage entitlement also to seafarers on domestic voyages. The Government expects that all employers will comply with UK employment law.
The Government uses the Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings (ASHE) to estimate minimum wage underpayment by sector. Offshore renewables workers are not well defined by any single standard industry classification (SIC) code and may come under several sectors, e.g. manufacturing or electricity generation. The Low Pay Commission does not define offshore renewables workers as a low-paying sector and therefore we do not expect there to be a large number of low paid workers within the sector.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Scottish Government on a number of issues. Responsibility for investigating individual and market-wide competition issues falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority. The CMA has discretion to conduct market studies and investigations as it considers most appropriate.
Under competition law, responsibility for investigating individual and market-wide competition issues falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority. The CMA, which works independently from BEIS, has discretion to investigate competition cases which it considers most appropriate according to its prioritisation principles. Concerns about a market and evidence that features of a market may prevent, restrict or distort competition in UK markets can be submitted to the CMA via the following page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-the-cma-about-a-competition-or-market-problem.
The Department continues to engage constructively with energy intensive industries to further understand and to assess the possibility of offering help to mitigate the impacts of high global gas prices. Our priority is to ensure that costs are managed and that supplies of energy are maintained.
The Department continues to engage constructively with energy intensive industries to further understand and to assess the possibility of offering help to mitigate the impacts of high global gas prices. Our priority is to ensure that costs are managed and that supplies of energy are maintained.
Nuclear power is an important part of an affordable, low carbon electricity system which is better protected against the volatility of global gas prices.
Under the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) funding model enabled by the Nuclear Energy (Finance) Bill, consumers would pay an allowed revenue during the construction period of a new nuclear project, which would be an average of less than £1 a month on a typical dual fuel energy bill.
However, we estimate that use of the RAB model will lower the cost of capital and ultimately save consumers more than £30bn on their bills for each new large-scale station, compared with existing funding mechanisms. The Bill’s impact assessment is available here. Granting a RAB licence would also be contingent on a project satisfying a detailed value for money assessment.
The Department continues to engage constructively with energy intensive industries to further understand and to assess the possibility of offering help to mitigate the impacts of high global gas prices. Our priority is to ensure that costs are managed and that supplies of energy are maintained.
BEIS officials are engaging with Ofgem on its call for evidence on possible transmission charging reforms, to understand how any decisions can help support delivery of a secure, net zero energy system at lowest cost to consumers. The call for evidence was published on 1 October 2021, and is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/tnuos-reform-call-evidence. It runs until 12 November 2021.
BEIS officials are engaging with Ofgem on its call for evidence on possible transmission charging reforms, to understand how any decisions can help support delivery of a secure, net zero energy system at lowest cost to consumers. The call for evidence was published on 1 October 2021, and is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/tnuos-reform-call-evidence. It runs until 12 November 2021.
BEIS Ministers and officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the Scottish Government on a range of energy related matters, including transmission charges.
Transmission charging is a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator, and it published a call for evidence on 1 October 2021 on possible transmission charging reforms. The Department is engaging closely as Ofgem progresses this work, to understand the implications of any decisions for different users, including offshore renewable energy projects.
National Grid Electricity System Operator publishes a report setting out a five year forecast of the tariff by geographic charging zone arising from Transmission Network Use of System charges, the latest version of which is available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/191116/download. This covers the period 2022/23 to 2026/27.
It publishes a report setting out final tariffs for each year, usually in the January preceding the start of a charging year in April. These reports are available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/charging/transmission-network-use-system-tnuos-charges.
National Grid Electricity System Operator publishes a report setting out a five year forecast of the tariff by geographic charging zone arising from Transmission Network Use of System charges, the latest version of which is available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/191116/download. This covers the period 2022/23 to 2026/27.
It publishes a report setting out final tariffs for each year, usually in the January preceding the start of a charging year in April. These reports are available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/charging/transmission-network-use-system-tnuos-charges.
The purpose of Phase-1 of the Cluster Sequencing process was to identify clusters which are best-suited to deployment in the mid-2020s window, these will be sequenced onto Track-1.
Clusters were selected through a transparent and objective assessment process. The details of this were published in May in the Phase 1 documents: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cluster-sequencing-for-carbon-capture-usage-and-storage-ccus-deployment-phase-1-expressions-of-interest.
Clusters submitted a range of detailed information on their structure, estimated costs and benefits, and technical project plans. To be eligible, clusters had to meet three eligibility criteria: that they could be operational by 2030, are located within the UK, and meet our definition of a CCUS cluster. These eligibility criteria were designed to reflect government targets and ambitions, to promote decarbonisation across the UK and to reflect the inherent interdependency of the CCUS chain.
Five clusters met the eligibility criteria and were taken forwards into the detailed assessment stage where they were scored against five criteria, as set out in the Phase-1 launch document: deliverability, emissions reduction potential, economic benefits, cost considerations, and learning and innovation. Scoring was informed by robust, specialist-led scrutiny of the cluster submissions. The clusters selected to be sequenced onto Track-1 were those with the highest combined weighted scores across the criteria.
The purpose of Phase-1 of the Cluster Sequencing process was to identify clusters which are best-suited to deployment in the mid-2020s window, these will be sequenced onto Track-1.
Clusters were selected through a transparent and objective assessment process. The details of this were published in May in the Phase 1 documents: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cluster-sequencing-for-carbon-capture-usage-and-storage-ccus-deployment-phase-1-expressions-of-interest.
Clusters submitted a range of detailed information on their structure, estimated costs and benefits, and technical project plans. To be eligible clusters had to meet three eligibility criteria: that they could be operational by 2030, are located within the UK, and meet our definition of a CCUS cluster. These eligibility criteria were designed to reflect government targets and ambitions, to promote decarbonisation across the UK and to reflect the inherent interdependency of the CCUS chain.
Five clusters met the eligibility criteria and were taken forwards into the detailed assessment stage where they were scored against five criteria, as set out in the Phase-1 launch document: deliverability, emissions reduction potential, economic benefits, cost considerations, and learning and innovation. Scoring was informed by robust, specialist-led scrutiny of the cluster submissions. The clusters selected to be sequenced onto Track-1 were those with the highest combined weighted scores across the criteria.
Ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy hold regular meetings with counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss energy and decarbonisation policy.
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) issue licences to search and bore for, and get, petroleum in the seabed and subsoil under the area.
These figures are publicly available from the Oil and Gas Authority and in historic annual reports.
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) issue licences to search and bore for, and get, petroleum in the seabed and subsoil under the area.
These figures are publicly available from the Oil and Gas Authority and in historic annual reports.
On 19th October, the Government published its Heat and Buildings Strategy, where it commits to a decision by 2026 on the potential role for hydrogen in the gas grid. Low carbon hydrogen can be produced in a variety of ways, and the Government intends to develop further detail on the role of different production technologies in our hydrogen production strategy by early 2022.
The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory estimates annual air quality and greenhouse gas pollutant emissions for the UK.
The use of animals in research is carefully regulated and remains important in ensuring new medicines and treatments are safe. At the same time, the Government believes that animals should only be used when there is no practicable alternative and it actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs, which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research. The NC3Rs is widely recognised as being world leading, supporting research and innovation that provides researchers in academia and industry with technologies that are more predictive, cost-effective and humane than current animal models.
Since the NC3Rs was launched it has committed £100 million through its research, innovation, and early career awards to provide new 3Rs approaches for scientists in academia and industry to use. This includes almost £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges innovation scheme to UK and EU-based institutions, mainly focusing on new approaches for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that reduce the use of animals.
The use of animals in research is carefully regulated and remains important in ensuring new medicines and treatments are safe. At the same time, the Government believes that animals should only be used when there is no practicable alternative and it actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs, which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research. The NC3Rs is widely recognised as being world leading, supporting research and innovation that provides researchers in academia and industry with technologies that are more predictive, cost-effective and humane than current animal models.
Since the NC3Rs was launched it has committed £100 million through its research, innovation, and early career awards to provide new 3Rs approaches for scientists in academia and industry to use. This includes almost £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges innovation scheme to UK and EU-based institutions, mainly focusing on new approaches for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that reduce the use of animals.
We recognise how data from New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) could be used for regulatory decision-making to enable a shift away from using animals in testing.
The commercial capability in this area is increasing and, for example, UK companies such as XCellR8 have developed OECD test guideline compliant NAMs assays for use in skin sensitisation studies.
The recommendations in the Non-Animal Technologies (NATs) roadmap continue to be delivered. For example, the NC3Rs CRACK IT programme which is accelerating the development and commercialisation of NATs.
There is ongoing work led by the NC3Rs to review the impact of the £7m invested as part of the NATs programme for commercial feasibility and collaborative R&D projects. The findings of this review will be used to inform future activities in this area.
The Government published its 10-point plan to build back better in November 2020. This increased the target for offshore wind to 40GW by 2030 and included £160m to support ports and the manufacturing supply chain across the UK. Allocation Round 4 of the Contract for Difference scheme will open later this year, with the aim of up to doubling the renewable energy capacity delivered from the previous round.
In addition, we will imminently be publishing our revised Supply Chain Plan policy guidance and questionnaire, to align developers plans more closely with government priorities, including consequences for non-delivery of commitments.
We have created the largest global market in offshore wind which alongside our actions set out above could deliver up to 60,000 jobs by 2030, right across the United Kingdom.
We continue to keep the guidance for working safely during COVID-19 in close contact services under constant review. Guidance will be updated in advance of step 4.
We continue to keep the guidance for working safely during COVID-19 in close contact services under constant review. Guidance will be updated in advance of step 4.
While employment law is a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998, we continue to work with the Scottish Government respecting their unique settlements to ensure we build a strong economy across the United Kingdom.
Ministers and officials from both the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department of Work and Pensions hold regular meetings with counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss various employment-related issues, including regular reviews of the legislative framework. We will update Parliament accordingly when there are plans to review legislation.
BEIS Ministers and officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the Scottish Government on a range of energy related matters, including transmission charges. I know the Scottish Government has also been engaging closely with Ofgem, which oversees transmission charging as the independent energy regulator. Ofgem is currently progressing a review of network charging arrangements. All parties recognise the significant role that transmission charges play in the Net Zero transition, and Ofgem is taking this into account in its consideration of these matters.
Heat batteries are not eligible. Thermal stores as essential ancillary items for low-carbon heating, such as ground and air source heat pumps and solar thermal are eligible. Thermal stores are not eligible as primary measure where replacing fossil-fuelled boilers or night storage heaters for space heating.
Employment law continues to apply to those furloughed on the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, alongside protection rights for workers, including the existing redundancy consultation periods for employers.
An employer has a statutory duty to consult when they propose to dismiss 20 or more employees in a single establishment within a rolling 90-day period. If the employer proposes to dismiss 100 or more employees in a single establishment the minimum consultation period is 45 days.
The employer is entitled to start to furlough employees who have agreed to participate in the furlough scheme before or in parallel to conducting any collective consultation which is required, as long as consultation takes place in good time and, in any event, within the statutory minimum periods before any dismissals take effect.
Consultation must be undertaken with a view to reaching agreement, although sometimes agreement may not be possible. The consultation must seek to reach agreement on ways to avoid redundancies, or to reduce or mitigate their impact.
The requirement for a minimum period of consultation is accompanied by the need to notify my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State of potential large scale redundancies so that Government can help assist redundant staff either through payments from the National Insurance Fund, universal credit or finding alternative local job opportunities.
The Annual Statement of Emissions for 2018 was laid in Parliament on 21st April 2020 and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-statement-of-emissions-for-2018.
The UK follows the agreed international approach for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which is for countries to report the emissions produced within their territories.
Under the Climate Change Act, we are required to publish, by the end of March each year, the Annual Statement of Emissions which reports to Parliament the UK’s latest progress against carbon budgets.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) work on the fireworks evidence base is ongoing and will be published in due course.
OPSS is engaging with officials in the Scottish Government about their consultation and Fireworks Action Plan for Scotland. Any evidence that has emerged from that consultation will be considered as part of the wider fireworks evidence base.
OPSS invited evidence from a range of stakeholders across the UK including those in Scotland such as the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Under the Scotland Act 1998 the regulation of the sale and supply of goods and services to consumers and product safety and liability are reserved matters. The regulation of fireworks for these purposes is covered by the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015, which are the responsibility of this Department. The use and discharge of fireworks is devolved to the Scottish Government which has powers to impose certain restrictions on the use of fireworks. The Scottish Government has legislated in this area through the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004. There are no plans to devolve this matter further.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has been talking to officials in the Scottish Government about the recent consultation on fireworks undertaken by the Scottish Government. The outcomes of that consultation are being considered as part of OPSS’ work on a fireworks evidence base. This will build a full picture of the data around fireworks in order to identify what, if any, further action is appropriate.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is developing a fact-based evidence base on the key issues that have been raised around fireworks including restricting the sale of fireworks. The evidence base is considering data on noise and disturbance, anti-social behaviour, non-compliance, environmental impact, and the impact on humans and animals. This will build a full picture of the data around fireworks in order to identify whether, and what, further action is appropriate.
My Department has not received any formal representations from the Scottish Government on this matter.
The UK Government is committed to devolution and to working constructively with the devolved administrations.
My Department ensures it receives input from, and its work is impactful in Scotland, both with the Scottish Government and directly with an increasing proportion of DCMS staff based in Scotland. Regular formal and informal engagement takes place with the administration and other Scottish bodies and organisations.
I look forward to continuing the valued and positive working relationship that we have with the Scottish Government. It supports and strengthens our digital, media, creative, cultural and sport sectors which benefits people in both Scotland and across the UK.
Neither the Secretary of State at this Department, nor Ministers at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy have had discussions with PRS for Music or issued guidance on this matter. The Government is aware that PRS for Music put in place measures at the start of the pandemic to ease licensing requirements at the time. The Government was not involved in these: licensing matters are private and commercial arrangements between PRS for Music and its licensees.
When making legislation or policy decisions with regard to marketing for TV and online, DCMS officials regularly engage with their counterparts in the devolved administrations. DHSC officials in alcohol policy liaise with their DA colleagues once a quarter.
The Government has not received any requests from the Scottish Government on the devolution of powers in whole or in part over broadcasting.
The UK government is committed to showcasing the importance of the UK’s broadcasters as part of a stronger, global Britain.
Broadcasting is a reserved matter and there are a number of well established structures in place such as the Advisory Committee for Scotland which ensures that Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator which regulates UK broadcasting, takes into account the interests and views of people living in Scotland.
The UK Government has not entered into a memoranda of understanding with the Scottish government or parliament in relation to the operation of the BBC, or appointments to the BBC Board.
The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of government, and the UK government has no say in the BBC’s day-to-day operations. The BBC Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions, including Scotland. The BBC Board is responsible for ensuring the BBC delivers these Charter obligations.
The Chair and Nations Members of the BBC Board are appointed by Her Majesty the Queen, via Order in Council, following a fair and open competition. This includes the BBC Board Member for Scotland. As per the BBC Charter, no appointment shall be made for the BBC Board member for Scotland without the agreement of the Scottish Ministers.
All other appointments are made by the BBC.
£120 million has been announced for Festival UK 2022. There are Barnett allocations to Scotland and the other home nations from the £120 million budget, which is administered by HM Treasury. None of this funding has been allocated to The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, or Coventry City of Culture.
Data released by the Gambling Commission in May 2020 suggested that the scale of the black market had remained low and stable, with little variation in the number of complaints it had received about illegal gambling websites over the previous 12 months. The Commission’s enforcement approach includes working with web hosting companies and search engines to remove sites or prevent them appearing on searches, and working with payment providers to prevent payments to unlicensed operators. It also has powers to prosecute or refer issues to partner agencies such as HMRC where necessary.
The government’s Review of the Gambling Act 2005 has called for evidence on issues around unlicensed gambling, and we are aware of the recent report commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council. We are also consulting on a proposed uplift to Gambling Commission licence fees, which will strengthen the resources it has to identify the scale of and tackle illegal gambling.
The Gambling Commission requires operators to monitor play and to intervene where players may be at risk of harm. Its consultation and call for evidence on Remote Customer Interaction is considering whether further requirements are needed for how operators identify and interact with customers who may be at risk.
The Commission will be led by the evidence it receives in deciding its next steps, and its findings may also inform its advice to government on the Gambling Act Review. Following a one month extension to allow extra evidence to be submitted, the deadline for submissions is now 9 February.
The announced budget for the Festival UK 2022 is £120 million, which includes the Barnett share to the devolved nations.
The Government is committed to working with industry to address concerns over any irresponsible promotions, advertising and marketing relating to alcohol, particularly to ensure that children and young people are suitably protected.
Material in the Committee of Advertising Practice and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice Codes relating to the advertising and marketing of alcohol products is exceptionally robust, recognising the social imperative of ensuring that alcohol advertising is responsible and in particular that children and young people are suitably protected.
The government is committed to making the UK a safe place to be online. The Online Advertising Programme was established in order to foster fair, transparent and ethical online advertising that works for citizens, businesses and society as a whole.
The Programme is currently reviewing evidence from the relevant literature, stakeholder engagement and responses to its recent Call for Evidence. This Call for Evidence is focussed on ensuring standards about the placement and content of advertising can be effectively applied and enforced online so that consumers have limited exposure to harmful or misleading advertising.
Following the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) decision to suspend racing on 18 March 2020, DCMS officials have been in regular discussions with the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) regarding support to British racing during the coronavirus outbreak.
These discussions did not focus on the details of the Racing Relief Fund, which is an industry-led initiative led by the Racehorse Owners Association, with support from the Racing Foundation, in which the HBLB has no administrative or financial role.
The £2.5 million fund was announced as part of the HBLB and Racing Foundation’s £28 million cashflow and support package announced on 17 April. This support package was developed collaboratively and it was agreed that the HBLB would focus on support for racecourses and the Racing Foundation on support for participants, both human and equine.
The Racing Relief Fund is designed to meet the welfare needs of horses whose owners are suffering financial hardship. The scheme will provide up to £2.5 million of grants to assist with the costs of looking after horses in racing stables and in rehoming centres.
Following the suspension of racing on 18 March 2020, DEFRA, which leads on horse welfare, worked with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on a weekly basis to quickly agree guidance for the care of racehorses during this lockdown period in line with social distancing.
DCMS officials have also been in regular communication with the BHA and the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) regarding the economic impacts of Covid on the industry and the measures being taken to uphold horse welfare. The BHA has also taken part in regular calls with the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage and representatives of the sporting sector on these issues and the resumption of racing and other sports behind closed doors.
The government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, which includes the racing industry, given the acute impacts of COVID-19 on those sectors. A range of measures to support all businesses were made available, including business rates relief, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme. The government has provided access to £10k grants to 700,000 small and medium enterprises who are currently eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief.
On 17 April, the HBLB and Racing Foundation agreed an immediate £22 million cash flow and hardship funding package to support racing. The HBLB has reported on these packages on a weekly basis with the main racing bodies including the BHA.
Since we left the EU, the EU import data for 2021 and 2022 was collated from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Post Import Management System (PIMS) and accounts for all imports into Great Britain that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
For 2020, the data was extracted from TRACES NT through the data warehouse facility.
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS and TRACES by traders.
From 14 April 2022 Great Britain temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originated from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 9 July 2022.
Please find data below.
2020 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June |
Austria |
|
|
|
|
| 3 |
Belgium |
|
|
|
| 1 | 1 |
Bulgaria | 32 | 9 | 20 |
|
| 39 |
Croatia | 13 | 17 | 2 |
| 9 | 32 |
Cyprus | 286 | 271 | 185 | 61 | 229 | 348 |
Czechia | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 19 | 13 |
Denmark |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
England |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estonia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finland |
| 1 | 1 |
|
|
|
France | 1 |
| 7 | 17 |
| 4 |
Germany | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 20 |
Greece | 22 | 44 | 22 |
| 26 | 42 |
Hungary | 259 | 241 | 138 | 113 | 318 | 435 |
Iceland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy |
| 1 |
| 1 | 4 | 19 |
Latvia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lithuania | 1 | 1 |
|
|
| 1 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Malta |
|
| 1 |
|
|
|
Netherlands |
|
| 5 |
| 1 | 1 |
Northern Ireland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norway |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poland | 108 | 102 | 106 | 80 | 187 | 279 |
Portugal | 3 | 9 | 1 |
|
| 20 |
Republic of Ireland | 694 | 658 | 467 | 99 | 309 | 480 |
Romania | 1944 | 1705 | 870 | 529 | 2585 | 2814 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Slovakia |
| 3 | 3 |
|
| 2 |
Slovenia |
|
|
|
| 2 | 1 |
Spain | 440 | 324 | 155 | 32 | 491 | 646 |
Sweden |
|
|
|
| 3 | 1 |
Switzerland |
|
|
|
| 1 |
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isle of Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total | 3810 | 3391 | 1987 | 934 | 4190 | 5202 |
2020 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Austria | 1 | 2 |
|
| 1 | 1 |
Belgium |
|
|
| 2 | 3 | 6 |
Bulgaria | 20 |
| 20 | 1 | 41 | 40 |
Croatia | 3 | 14 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 31 |
Cyprus | 575 | 266 | 595 | 492 | 414 | 524 |
Czechia | 14 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 39 |
Denmark |
|
|
|
| 1 |
|
England |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estonia | 5 |
|
| 7 | 2 | 7 |
Finland |
| 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
|
France | 1 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 1 |
Germany | 17 |
| 2 | 19 | 11 | 18 |
Greece | 61 | 154 | 52 | 65 | 46 | 29 |
Hungary | 542 | 395 | 588 | 649 | 717 | 670 |
Iceland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy | 17 | 19 | 41 | 54 | 42 | 45 |
Latvia | 1 |
|
|
| 2 | 2 |
Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 42 | 40 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Malta |
| 1 |
|
| 2 | 1 |
Netherlands | 6 | 9 |
| 4 | 12 |
|
Northern Ireland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norway |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poland | 349 | 314 | 514 | 527 | 678 | 700 |
Portugal | 44 | 45 | 63 | 50 | 74 | 34 |
Republic of Ireland | 461 | 449 | 640 | 572 | 508 | 477 |
Romania | 3427 | 3166 | 3454 | 3854 | 3587 | 4590 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Slovakia | 11 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 17 | 17 |
Slovenia |
| 1 |
|
| 1 |
|
Spain | 752 | 407 | 810 | 682 | 716 | 1020 |
Sweden |
|
|
| 1 | 9 | 1 |
Switzerland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isle of Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total | 6309 | 5272 | 6826 | 7031 | 6944 | 8293 |
2021 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June |
Austria |
|
| 14 |
| 4 |
|
Belgium | 19 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
Bulgaria | 35 | 65 | 113 | 74 | 116 | 131 |
Croatia |
| 27 | 125 | 118 | 207 | 196 |
Cyprus | 143 | 485 | 323 | 384 | 205 | 415 |
Czechia |
| 14 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 20 |
Denmark |
|
| 12 |
| 1 | 184 |
England | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
|
Estonia |
|
|
| 16 | 5 |
|
Finland |
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
|
France | 6 | 58 | 40 | 48 | 17 | 111 |
Germany |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 17 |
Greece | 13 | 31 | 24 | 116 | 164 | 79 |
Hungary | 35 | 234 | 865 | 621 | 582 | 358 |
Iceland |
|
| 1 |
|
|
|
Italy | 4 | 29 | 35 | 26 | 9 | 33 |
Latvia |
| 36 | 25 | 66 | 61 | 45 |
Lithuania | 28 | 35 | 75 | 62 | 32 | 28 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Malta |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Netherlands | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Northern Ireland |
| 2 |
|
|
|
|
Norway |
|
|
| 1 |
|
|
Poland | 131 | 318 | 564 | 587 | 688 | 566 |
Portugal | 1 | 34 | 69 | 59 | 43 | 78 |
Republic of Ireland | 96 | 529 | 717 | 560 | 654 | 640 |
Romania | 558 | 3609 | 4220 | 4788 | 3696 | 3199 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Slovakia | 5 | 32 | 39 | 27 | 17 | 22 |
Slovenia |
|
| 1 | 3 |
| 1 |
Spain | 117 | 269 | 637 | 702 | 573 | 590 |
Sweden |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Switzerland |
|
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
Wales |
|
| 1 |
|
|
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isle of Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
| 1 |
|
|
Grand Total | 1201 | 5832 | 7937 | 8305 | 7125 | 6724 |
2021 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Austria |
| 2 | 1 |
| 1 |
|
Belgium | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
|
Bulgaria | 96 | 44 | 157 | 110 | 86 | 66 |
Croatia | 282 | 223 | 132 | 254 | 246 | 193 |
Cyprus | 297 | 396 | 345 | 325 | 165 | 275 |
Czechia | 22 | 18 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 30 |
Denmark |
| 58 | 210 | 43 | 94 | 117 |
England | 20 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
Estonia |
| 1 | 1 |
|
|
|
Finland |
| 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
France | 38 | 26 | 16 | 12 | 32 | 7 |
Germany | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Greece | 110 | 98 | 124 | 110 | 88 | 60 |
Hungary | 322 | 223 | 402 | 302 | 277 | 296 |
Iceland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy | 35 | 29 | 35 | 17 | 36 | 8 |
Latvia | 43 | 28 | 57 | 55 | 69 | 27 |
Lithuania | 81 | 71 | 82 | 77 | 55 | 52 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Malta |
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Netherlands | 4 | 34 | 23 | 28 | 16 | 18 |
Northern Ireland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norway |
| 1 |
|
| 1 |
|
Poland | 480 | 486 | 543 | 492 | 405 | 333 |
Portugal | 53 | 22 | 42 | 46 | 28 | 25 |
Republic of Ireland | 557 | 620 | 651 | 557 | 633 | 444 |
Romania | 3328 | 2871 | 3108 | 3452 | 2825 | 2427 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Slovakia | 23 | 21 | 32 | 22 | 33 | 18 |
Slovenia | 1 |
| 1 |
|
|
|
Spain | 729 | 316 | 539 | 490 | 539 | 408 |
Sweden | 2 | 1 |
| 33 | 1 | 2 |
Switzerland | 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
|
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isle of Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total | 6538 | 5610 | 6548 | 6463 | 5667 | 4816 |
2022 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | 1/6/22 to 6/6/22 |
Austria | 3 |
|
| 2 |
| |
Belgium | 10 |
| 4 | 5 | 3 |
|
Bulgaria | 79 | 40 | 95 | 115 | 244 | 57 |
Croatia | 145 | 190 | 358 | 248 | 239 |
|
Cyprus | 335 | 282 | 275 | 77 | 253 | 11 |
Czechia | 14 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 23 |
|
Denmark | 1 | 19 | 67 | 97 | 32 |
|
England |
| 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
|
Estonia |
|
| 4 |
| 8 |
|
Finland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
|
|
France | 16 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 3 |
|
Germany | 22 | 21 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 4 |
Greece | 54 | 48 | 33 | 29 | 20 | 1 |
Hungary | 164 | 253 | 224 | 226 | 271 | 33 |
Iceland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy | 7 | 44 | 32 | 35 | 18 |
|
Latvia | 56 | 32 | 54 | 41 | 38 | 2 |
Lithuania | 36 | 63 | 52 | 31 | 28 | 9 |
Luxembourg |
|
| 1 |
|
|
|
Malta |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands | 24 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
Northern Ireland | 1 |
|
|
| 12 |
|
Norway |
| 3 |
| 2 |
|
|
Poland | 320 | 339 | 334 | 175 | 46 | 2 |
Portugal | 30 | 36 | 30 | 24 | 43 | 9 |
Republic of Ireland | 635 | 670 | 632 | 534 | 622 | 65 |
Romania | 2529 | 2365 | 2531 | 1181 | 38 | 13 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Slovakia | 17 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 1 |
Slovenia |
|
|
|
| 1 |
|
Spain | 480 | 529 | 448 | 415 | 352 | 65 |
Sweden | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1 |
|
Switzerland |
| 1 |
| 1 |
|
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UK |
|
| 1 | 2 |
|
|
Isle of Man | 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total | 4983 | 4999 | 5236 | 3304 | 2331 | 273 |
For 2021 and 2022 we no longer receive Intra-Trade Animal Health certificates after leaving the EU which is part of the EU TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System).
Following departure from the EU, all imports from the EU should be notified via IPAFFS, attaching the relevant health documentation to the notification.
The number of dogs imported through the Pet Travel Scheme in each month for 2021 to 2022 are as follows:
Data for May 2022 not complete as not yet month end.
2021 | Number of Dogs | 2022 | Number of Dogs |
Jan | 6269 | Jan | 17920 |
Feb | 7908 | Feb | 11992 |
Mar | 10657 | Mar | 8272 |
Apr | 10190 | Apr | 20373 |
May | 10774 |
|
|
Jun | 14971 |
|
|
Jul | 13113 |
|
|
Aug | 21519 |
|
|
Sep | 19984 |
|
|
Oct | 17648 |
|
|
Nov | 14135 |
|
|
Dec | 15755 |
|
|
Total | 162,923 | Total | 58,557 |
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals. This data can be subject to change as often throughput data from carriers can be received late.
Country of origin is not recorded by the carriers so we are unable to provide this information.
Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Post Import Management System and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.
APHA only holds data on GB imports.
From 14 April 2022 Great Britain temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originated from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 9 July 2022.
Please find data below.
2021 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June |
Austria |
|
| 14 |
| 4 |
|
Belgium | 19 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
Bulgaria | 35 | 65 | 113 | 74 | 116 | 131 |
Croatia |
| 27 | 125 | 118 | 207 | 196 |
Cyprus | 143 | 485 | 323 | 384 | 205 | 415 |
Czechia |
| 14 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 20 |
Denmark |
|
| 12 |
| 1 | 184 |
England | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
|
Estonia |
|
|
| 16 | 5 |
|
Finland |
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
|
France | 6 | 58 | 40 | 48 | 17 | 111 |
Germany |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 17 |
Greece | 13 | 31 | 24 | 116 | 164 | 79 |
Hungary | 35 | 234 | 865 | 621 | 582 | 358 |
Iceland |
|
| 1 |
|
|
|
Italy | 4 | 29 | 35 | 26 | 9 | 33 |
Latvia |
| 36 | 25 | 66 | 61 | 45 |
Lithuania | 28 | 35 | 75 | 62 | 32 | 28 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Malta |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Netherlands | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Northern Ireland |
| 2 |
|
|
|
|
Norway |
|
|
| 1 |
|
|
Poland | 131 | 318 | 564 | 587 | 688 | 566 |
Portugal | 1 | 34 | 69 | 59 | 43 | 78 |
Republic of Ireland | 96 | 529 | 717 | 560 | 654 | 640 |
Romania | 558 | 3609 | 4220 | 4788 | 3696 | 3199 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Slovakia | 5 | 32 | 39 | 27 | 17 | 22 |
Slovenia |
|
| 1 | 3 |
| 1 |
Spain | 117 | 269 | 637 | 702 | 573 | 590 |
Sweden |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Switzerland |
|
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
Wales |
|
| 1 |
|
|
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isle of Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
| 1 |
|
|
Grand Total | 1201 | 5832 | 7937 | 8305 | 7125 | 6724 |
2021 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | ||||||
Country of Origin | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Austria |
| 2 | 1 |
| 1 |
|
Belgium | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
|
Bulgaria | 96 | 44 | 157 | 110 | 86 | 66 |
Croatia | 282 | 223 | 132 | 254 | 246 | 193 |
Cyprus | 297 | 396 | 345 | 325 | 165 | 275 |
Czechia | 22 | 18 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 30 |
Denmark |
| 58 | 210 | 43 | 94 | 117 |
England | 20 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
Estonia |
| 1 | 1 |
|
|
|
Finland |
| 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
France | 38 | 26 | 16 | 12 | 32 | 7 |
Germany | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Greece | 110 | 98 | 124 | 110 | 88 | 60 |
Hungary | 322 | 223 | 402 | 302 | 277 | 296 |
Iceland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy | 35 | 29 | 35 | 17 | 36 | 8 |
Latvia | 43 | 28 | 57 | 55 | 69 | 27 |
Lithuania | 81 | 71 | 82 | 77 | 55 | 52 |
Luxembourg |
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Malta |
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Netherlands | 4 | 34 | 23 | 28 | 16 | 18 |
Northern Ireland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norway |
| 1 |
|
| 1 |
|
Poland | 480 | 486 | 543 | 492 | 405 | 333 |
Portugal | 53 | 22 | 42 | 46 | 28 | 25 |
Republic of Ireland | 557 | 620 | 651 | 557 | 633 | 444 |
Romania | 3328 | 2871 | 3108 | 3452 | 2825 | 2427 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Slovakia | 23 | 21 | 32 | 22 | 33 | 18 |
Slovenia | 1 |
| 1 |
|
|
|
Spain | 729 | 316 | 539 | 490 | 539 | 408 |
Sweden | 2 | 1 |
| 33 | 1 | 2 |
Switzerland | 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
|
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isle of Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total | 6538 | 5610 | 6548 | 6463 | 5667 | 4816 |
2022 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive | |||||
Country of Origin | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | 1/5/22 to 23/05/22 |
Austria | 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
Belgium | 10 |
| 4 | 5 | 2 |
Bulgaria | 79 | 40 | 95 | 115 | 115 |
Croatia | 145 | 190 | 358 | 248 |
|
Cyprus | 335 | 282 | 275 | 77 | 231 |
Czechia | 14 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 16 |
Denmark | 1 | 19 | 67 | 97 |
|
England |
| 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
Estonia |
|
| 4 |
| 7 |
Finland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
|
France | 16 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
Germany | 22 | 21 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
Greece | 54 | 48 | 33 | 29 | 16 |
Hungary | 164 | 253 | 224 | 226 | 193 |
Iceland |
|
|
|
|
|
Italy | 7 | 44 | 32 | 35 | 22 |
Latvia | 56 | 32 | 54 | 41 | 8 |
Lithuania | 36 | 63 | 52 | 31 | 26 |
Luxembourg |
|
| 1 |
|
|
Malta |
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands | 24 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
|
Northern Ireland | 1 |
|
|
|
|
Norway |
| 3 |
| 2 |
|
Poland | 320 | 339 | 334 | 175 | 42 |
Portugal | 30 | 36 | 30 | 24 | 39 |
Republic of Ireland | 635 | 670 | 632 | 534 | 493 |
Romania | 2529 | 2365 | 2531 | 1181 | 18 |
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
Slovakia | 17 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 9 |
Slovenia |
|
|
|
|
|
Spain | 480 | 529 | 448 | 415 | 344 |
Sweden | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1 |
Switzerland |
| 1 |
| 1 |
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
UK |
|
| 1 | 2 |
|
Isle of Man | 2 |
|
|
|
|
(blank) |
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total | 4983 | 4999 | 5236 | 3304 | 1589 |
Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.
Data for April 2022 not complete as not yet month end.
Number of Cats and Dogs imported under the Balai Directive into GB 2022 | ||
Month | Dog | Cat |
January | 4983 | 384 |
February | 4999 | 403 |
March | 5236 | 438 |
Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.
APHA only holds data on GB imports.
Data for April 2022 not complete as not yet month end.
Number of dogs entered GB1 January 22 to 31 March 22 | ||
Month | Republic of Ireland | Romania |
Jan- 22 | 635 | 2529 |
Feb - 22 | 670 | 2365 |
March - 22 | 632 | 2531 |
From July 2022 Live animals imported from the EU into GB can continue to enter at any point of entry as they do today. Where live animals enter a point of entry with an appropriately designated Border Control Post with available facilities for that consignment, the consignment may be selected for inspection at the border.
Where there aren’t facilities available at a border control post for that consignment, checks will continue to take place at destination as they do now.
Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.
Number of dogs entered the UK January 21 to 27th January 2022 | ||
Month | Republic of Ireland | Romania |
Jan-21 | 101 | 483 |
Feb-21 | 496 | 3511 |
Mar-21 | 647 | 4133 |
Apr-21 | 530 | 4507 |
May-21 | 683 | 3517 |
Jun-21 | 586 | 2746 |
Jul-21 | 522 | 3459 |
Aug-21 | 613 | 2935 |
Sep-21 | 695 | 3236 |
Oct-21 | 538 | 2920 |
Nov-21 | 622 | 3059 |
Dec-21 | 406 | 2232 |
Jan-22 | 660 | 2776 |
Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.
Number of dogs from EU to UK 1 January 21 to 27 January 22 | |
Month | Number of Dogs |
Jan-21 | 771 |
Feb-21 | 5547 |
Mar-21 | 7517 |
Apr-21 | 8007 |
May-21 | 6893 |
Jun-21 | 5753 |
Jul-21 | 6458 |
Aug-21 | 6087 |
Sep-21 | 6894 |
Oct-21 | 5688 |
Nov-21 | 6007 |
Dec-21 | 4532 |
Jan-22 | 4966 |
Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.
Number of Cats and Dogs imported under the Balai Directive in 2021 | ||
Month | Dog | Cat |
January | 771 | 50 |
February | 5547 | 425 |
March | 7517 | 478 |
April | 8007 | 446 |
May | 6893 | 413 |
June | 5753 | 319 |
July | 6458 | 503 |
August | 6087 | 505 |
September | 6894 | 672 |
October | 5688 | 514 |
November | 6007 | 539 |
December | 4532 | 473 |
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
Cats imported into GB under the pet travel scheme | |||
2021 | Aug | Sept | Oct |
Cats | 3,385 | 3,318 | 2,392 |
The Animal and Plant Health Agency has information on how many dogs have entered the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme but does not have information on how many dogs have entered per vehicle.
Following departure from the EU, all imports from the EU should be notified via IPAFFS, attaching the relevant health documentation to the notification. The information below has been collated from PIMS (APHA’s Post Import Management System) and does not account for all Imports that may have entered using Traces NT rather than IPAFFS.
The only data APHA can provide from IPAFFS is the number of Importer Notifications that have been submitted for commercial dogs. Intra-Trade Animal Health certificates are no longer issued for imports from the EU.
Number of Importer Notifications received for commercial imports of dogs to the UK in 2021 | |
January | 771 |
February | 4089 |
March | 5449 |
April | 5397 |
May | 4893 |
June | 3850 |
July | 4612 |
August | 4235 |
September | 4933 |
October | 4076 |
November to 16/11/21 | 2827 |
The information that APHA have provided from IPAFFS is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. APHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by a third party.
Dogs imported into GB under the Pet Travel Scheme | |||
2021 | Aug | Sept | Oct |
Dogs | 21,519 | 19,984 | 17,051 |
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
Defra commissioned Middlesex University to examine measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible ownership. The research considers different approaches and the effectiveness of current dog control measures. The report will be published shortly and will provide the basis for the consideration of further reform in this area.
We continue to engage closely with key stakeholders in the equine sector about a range of equine welfare issues. My department currently meets on a fortnightly basis with equine stakeholders including the British Horse Society, the British Equine Veterinary Association and World Horse Welfare.
The sector keep us regularly updated of the current health of the sector, sharing their surveys particularly with respect to rescue and rehoming rates, and information on cruelty investigations. In order to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector, we held monthly meetings with the National Equine Welfare Council during winter 2020/21 and increased our engagement with other equine stakeholders.
Defra remains committed to continued engagement with the sector.
We continue to engage closely with key stakeholders in the equine sector about a range of equine welfare issues. My department currently meets on a fortnightly basis with equine stakeholders including the British Horse Society, the British Equine Veterinary Association and World Horse Welfare.
The sector keep us regularly updated of the current health of the sector, sharing their surveys particularly with respect to rescue and rehoming rates, and information on cruelty investigations. In order to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector, we held monthly meetings with the National Equine Welfare Council during winter 2020/21 and increased our engagement with other equine stakeholders.
Defra remains committed to continued engagement with the sector.
We have introduced measures in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to reduce the number of pet dogs, cats and ferrets that can be moved under the pet travel rules which apply to non-commercial movements, placing a limit of five pets per vehicle We drew on People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) research and engaged with stakeholders, including authorised pet checkers, carriers, animal welfare organisations and veterinary bodies, to determine a suitable limit that would disrupt the illegal trade whilst minimising the impact of genuine owners travelling with their pets under the pet travel rules. The limit of five pets per vehicle is also current industry practice.
The Government has no immediate plans to shorten the window for tapeworm treatment of dogs from 24-120 hours to 24-48 hours. However, we remain aware of the concerns around tapeworm and our future policy will be guided by risk assessment.
The Government takes the risks of disease seriously and we remain alert to concerns relating to ticks, tick-borne diseases, tapeworm diseases and other diseases. The rabies risk assessment referred to in response to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63200 on Dogs: Imports has been completed and signed off and shows that despite an increase in the number of dogs entering the UK under both the commercial and non-commercial rules, the declining number of rabies cases in EU Member States has meant that the annual probability of rabies entering the UK from EU Member States is currently very low. The Echinococcus (tapeworm) risk assessment has been completed and is currently at review stage. We are unable to share results at this time. The risk assessment into ticks and tick-borne diseases is ongoing.
The information the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has provided below is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. APHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we rely on information that has been input into IPAFFS and PIMS by traders.
Number of cats and dogs imported from EU under the Balai directive | ||
2021 | Dogs | Cats |
Jan | 1399 | 87 |
Feb | 5997 | 479 |
Mar | 8103 | 554 |
April | 8411 | 476 |
May | 7383 | 432 |
June | 6270 | 371 |
July | 6767 | 538 |
Aug | 6985 | 635 |
Number of cats and dogs imported from third countries under the Balai directive | ||
2021 | Dogs | Cats |
Jan | 266 | 310 |
Feb | 381 | 423 |
Mar | 340 | 552 |
April | 430 | 494 |
May | 474 | 449 |
June | 527 | 474 |
July | 397 | 464 |
Aug | 485 | 398 |
The information the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. APHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS and PIMS by traders.
APHA can only provide data for imports entering Great Britain.
Dogs commercially imported into GB - Country of Origin. | |||
Argentina | Egypt | Lithuania | Russian Federation |
Australia | Estonia | Macao | Saudi Arabia |
Austria | Ethiopia | Malaysia | Serbia |
Bahamas | Finland | Malta | Singapore |
Bahrain | France | Mexico | Slovakia |
Barbados | Germany | Namibia | Slovenia |
Belarus | Greece | Nepal | South Africa |
Belgium | Hong Kong | Netherlands | South Korea |
Bermuda | Hungary | New Zealand | Spain |
Brazil | Iceland | Nigeria | Sweden |
Bulgaria | India | Northern Ireland | Switzerland |
Canada | Indonesia | Norway | Taiwan |
Cayman Islands | Israel | Oman | Thailand |
China | Italy | Panama | Turkey |
Colombia | Jamaica | Peru | Ukraine |
Costa Rica | Japan | Philippines | United Arab Emirates |
Croatia | Jordan | Poland | United States of America |
Cyprus | Kenya | Portugal | Zimbabwe |
Czechia | Kuwait | Qatar |
|
Denmark | Latvia | Republic of Ireland |
|
Ecuador | Lebanon | Romania |
|
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
Dogs and Cats imported into GB under the Pet Travel Scheme | ||||||||
2021 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug |
Cats | 1445 | 1526 | 1966 | 1841 | 1794 | 2668 | 2565 | August 2021 data is not yet available |
Dogs | 6269 | 7908 | 10657 | 10052 | 10490 | 14873 | 12972 | August 2021 data is not yet available |
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: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf
Further information on responsible breeding is available to the public, including World Horse Welfare’s “Need to Breed” initiative which can be found here: https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/do-you-need-to-breed.
The Government considers that key the issue at stake here is how well equines are cared for after they have been born, and existing protections address this. We continue to engage closely with key stakeholders in the equine sector about these issues. The Government currently has no plans to monitor more closely the number of foals being born.
We continue to have close engagement with the equine sector to support our positive action to protect and improve the welfare of animals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had regular contact with equine stakeholders such as World Horse Welfare and the British Horse Council to assess the health of the sector.
A group of animal welfare charities released a report titled “Britain’s Horse Problem” in December 2020 which raised a number of issues including overbreeding. Recommendations from the report include the need for responsible ownership of equines as well as the enhanced promotion of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids. We continue to engage with the sector on the issues presented in the report. The Code of Practice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-horses-ponies-donkeys-and-their-hybrids
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare demonstrates our commitment to a brighter future for animals both at home and abroad. Our reform programme includes pursuing the licensing of animal sanctuaries and rescue and rehoming centres including for horses. This mirrors a recommendation from “Britain’s Horse Problem”. Defra has been engaging with rescue and rehoming organisations to understand their views and the possible impacts of regulating the sector. Any proposals to bring forward licensing regulations will be subject to a consultation.
We are not aware of the work that the US Center for Computational Toxicology (USCCT) is doing in advancing the development of New Approach Methodologies. We plan to get in touch with USCCT to find out more about its role in taking forward that work and how that links in with what we are doing on this issue.
The Government intends to fully consider any advice provided by the OEP. The OEP will build up comprehensive expertise and therefore a Minister may regularly ask it for advice. Clause 29(1) of the Environment Bill states that the Minister can ask the OEP to provide advice on proposed changes to environmental law, including any relevant amendments to the UK REACH Regulation. The Environment Bill states that the OEP must provide advice at the request of a Minister. The OEP may also provide advice on its own initiative to any proposed changes to environmental law as defined in clause 45. To maintain transparency and independence, the OEP must publish its advice as stated in clause 29(5). If a Minister required the OEP to provide advice, the OEP must also publish the request, along with any matters it was required to consider.
The regulation-making powers and associated duties contained in Schedule 20 to the Environment Bill are also subject to parliamentary scrutiny through the affirmative resolution procedure and potentially to judicial review.
The Government intends to fully consider any advice provided by the OEP. The OEP will build up comprehensive expertise and therefore a Minister may regularly ask it for advice. Clause 29(1) of the Environment Bill states that the Minister can ask the OEP to provide advice on proposed changes to environmental law, including any relevant amendments to the UK REACH Regulation. The Environment Bill states that the OEP must provide advice at the request of a Minister. The OEP may also provide advice on its own initiative to any proposed changes to environmental law as defined in clause 45. To maintain transparency and independence, the OEP must publish its advice as stated in clause 29(5). If a Minister required the OEP to provide advice, the OEP must also publish the request, along with any matters it was required to consider.
The regulation-making powers and associated duties contained in Schedule 20 to the Environment Bill are also subject to parliamentary scrutiny through the affirmative resolution procedure and potentially to judicial review.
UK REACH sets out what information is needed to satisfy each hazard endpoint. This includes specifying in some, but not all cases, what studies are required, including non-animal methods where they are available. New test methods will be included through amendments to the Test Methods Regulation after development and validation through the OECD. The responsibility then lies on registrants to commission any studies they need to fulfil their UK REACH information requirements, following Good Laboratory Practice.
The responsibility to reduce and replace animal testing with alternative methods, including New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), lies with industry (within the confines of the appropriate legislation). We would anticipate that commercial service providers will develop and expand their services accordingly, as and when demand for these methods increases. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has an active role with a number of organisations to advise, influence and support those looking to develop and apply these alternative methods. Where animal studies are unavoidable the Home Office is responsible for licensing testing houses and individual procedures.
HSE regulatory scientists, including toxicologists, are actively involved in monitoring and influencing the development of NAMs at both the domestic and international level which involves discussions and engagement with external experts in this field. HSE has recently appointed several independent experts who are familiar with NAMs to its UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool to provide independent expert advice on the safety and regulation of chemicals and support its scientific opinions.
UK REACH sets out what information is needed to satisfy each hazard endpoint. This includes specifying in some, but not all cases, what studies are required, including non-animal methods where they are available. New test methods will be included through amendments to the Test Methods Regulation after development and validation through the OECD. The responsibility then lies on registrants to commission any studies they need to fulfil their UK REACH information requirements, following Good Laboratory Practice.
The responsibility to reduce and replace animal testing with alternative methods, including New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), lies with industry (within the confines of the appropriate legislation). We would anticipate that commercial service providers will develop and expand their services accordingly, as and when demand for these methods increases. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has an active role with a number of organisations to advise, influence and support those looking to develop and apply these alternative methods. Where animal studies are unavoidable the Home Office is responsible for licensing testing houses and individual procedures.
HSE regulatory scientists, including toxicologists, are actively involved in monitoring and influencing the development of NAMs at both the domestic and international level which involves discussions and engagement with external experts in this field. HSE has recently appointed several independent experts who are familiar with NAMs to its UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool to provide independent expert advice on the safety and regulation of chemicals and support its scientific opinions.
This response has been compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) using data provided by third parties, and as such, is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.
The following has been extracted from TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System). TRACES is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal/animal product movements into and throughout the EU.
Below is the number of live animals exported to the EU from 2016:
Reason for export | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Breeding | 9,037,232 | 11,073,789 | 9,998,318 | 8,415,229 | 9,577,278 |
Fattening | 93,778 | 92,193 | 76,915 | 80,934 | 87,936 |
Production | 25,146 | 28,783 | 25,521 | 34,295 | 6,248 |
Slaughter | 3,950,414 | 5,315,978 | 4,820,894 | 5,277,047 | 4,657,365 |
Exports to the rest of the world require an Export Health Certificate (EHC). APHA’s data retention period for export certification is three years. Subsequently, APHA does not hold records for export consignments carried out before 2018.
The below information shows the number of EHCs issued. The APHA records do not hold the number of animals exported; numerous animals can travel on one EHC. Many of the EHCs agreed with countries are for breeding, fattening or production combined on one document so this data cannot be segmented by export reason.
Reason for export | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Breeding/Fattening/Production | 1805 | 1812 | 2185 |
Slaughter | 227 | 484 | 263 |
This response has been compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) using data provided by third parties, and as such, is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.
The following has been extracted from TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System). TRACES is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal/animal product movements into and throughout the EU.
Below is the number of live animals exported to the EU from 2016:
Reason for export | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Bull/Cow |
|
|
|
|
|
Breeding | 6,143 | 4,184 | 5,632 | 6,042 | 2,407 |
Production | 24,974 | 28,485 | 25,234 | 15,597 | 6,128 |
Slaughter | 10,318 | 9,616 | 8,672 | 4,673 | 3,551 |
Wild Boar |
|
|
|
|
|
Breeding | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pigs |
|
|
|
|
|
Breeding | 1,763 | 3,055 | 3,370 | 6,056 | 12,919 |
Production | 2 | 125 | 1 | 418 | |
Slaughter | 8,910 | 8,056 | 13,081 | 14,969 | 15,446 |
Birds, other than poultry |
|
|
|
|
|
Breeding | 79 | 51 | 3 | 49 | 110,548 |
Slaughter | 0 | 750 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Poultry |
|
|
|
|
|
Breeding | 9,022,269 | 11,059,627 | 9,981,653 | 8,397,890 | 9,446,174 |
Slaughter | 3,551,225 | 4,875,861 | 4,349,451 | 4,865,515 | 4,257,736 |
Exports to the rest of the world require an Export Health Certificate (EHC). APHA’s data retention period for export certification is three years. Subsequently, APHA does not hold records for export consignments carried out before 2018.
The below information shows the number of EHCs issued. The APHA records do not hold the number of animals exported; numerous animals can travel on one EHC. Many of the EHCs agreed with countries are for breeding, fattening or production combined on one document so this data cannot be split by export reason. The EHCs are based on commodities, and as such cannot be segmented into specific species.
Reason for export | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Cattle |
|
|
|
Breeding/Fattening/Production | 568 | 553 | 696 |
Slaughter | 210 | 201 | 79 |
Pigs |
|
|
|
Breeding/Fattening/Production | 21 | 28 | 35 |
Slaughter | 8 | 282 | 181 |
Poultry |
|
|
|
Breeding/Fattening/Production | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Slaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will ban exports of livestock and equines for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain. The numbers of live animals exported for slaughter and fattening have decreased in recent years, so that last year only around 6,300 sheep were exported for slaughter and around 38,000 sheep were exported for fattening from Great Britain to the EU[1]. This accounted for around 58% of exports of livestock and equines (excluding poultry) from Great Britain to the EU in the same year. The remaining 42% of livestock and equine exports were for purposes other than slaughter and fattening, such as breeding, which will continue to be permitted.
[1] Figures referenced are from the EU Trade and Control Expert System for year 2020
We consulted earlier this year on the Government’s commitment to end long journeys of livestock and equines going for slaughter or fattening and the provisions in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill implement the consultation proposals.
Poultry exports primarily consist of significant numbers of recently hatched chicks, exported for breeding purposes from the UK to EU and non-EU countries. Moreover, there were no exports of poultry for slaughter or fattening from Great Britain to the EU in 2020.
The information requested is not held by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers the number of pets entering Great Britain, which is provided by checkers, employed by approved carriers of pet animals. The type of passport is not a requirement of data submitted to APHA and therefore this information is not held.
The Government does not hold this information centrally. Under existing domestic legislation is it an offence to keep animals solely or primarily for slaughter for the value of their fur.
The Government does not hold this information centrally.
The Government does not collect this information. According to the RSPCA, any rabbit farming industry in the UK is fairly small-scale, with greater numbers reared in other European countries.
The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, which clearly reflect public attitudes to the treatment of animals.
Fur farming is a cruel practice that has been banned in England and Wales following the introduction of The Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act of 2000, and since 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Under this legislation it is an offence to keep animals solely or primarily for slaughter for the value of their fur. The Government has made clear its commitment to raising animal welfare standards now that the UK has left the EU, and we are actively considering further steps that can now be taken in relation to fur.
The number of dogs imported under the Pet Travel Scheme in July 2020 was 17,984.
In answer to question 85115, the figure of 5,423 was based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) advised at the time that the information supplied was a true reflection of the data that had been provided.
APHA is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this data, as it can only rely on the information provided by third parties. Subsequently, figures may be amended as third parties submit new data, as occurred in this instance.
Ensuring the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards is a priority. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing’s governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.
The Government welcomed the creation of the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), which was formed in March 2019. The Board is chaired by Barry Johnson, former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (who is independent of the BHA) and includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. The Board has assured Defra that it is committed to doing all it can to make the sport safer and improve welfare outcomes. The HWB published its five-year horse welfare strategy “A life well lived” last year:
http://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/Welfare/HWB/WELFARE_STRATEGY.pdf.
The strategy contains 20 recommendations for the industry aimed at ensuring the best possible safety and quality of life for racehorses.
One of the plan’s five identified outcomes (outcome 3 - 'Best possible safety') aims to reduce and minimise, as far as reasonably possible, avoidable injuries and fatalities to racehorses. This targets a reduction in injuries and fatalities on racecourses but also those that occur in, or as a result of, training or pre-training methods, or which are linked to breeding. The HWB has underlined the importance of data to better understand the causes of injuries and fatalities to help achieve this outcome.
Defra does not hold any information related to racehorse fatalities including those that have occurred during training. However, as well as collating and publishing data on racing fatalities, the BHA, following the recommendations contained within the HWB’s strategy, is working to improve data gathering in relation to thoroughbred racehorse fatalities in training. This includes analysis of data and reporting mechanisms which already exist regarding horses in training, and how these can be improved to provide additional data on fatal injuries.
The Secretary of State has not met representatives of either the BHA or the HWB between 2019 and now. I can confirm that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at that time met with the BHA’s Director of Equine Health and the HWB’s Independent Chair in May 2019 where both sides agreed that further action was required to make the sport safer and to improve animal welfare standards across the industry. My officials plan to meet with the BHA in due course and will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the welfare of racehorses, and reducing the fatalities and injuries that result from racing, remain at the forefront of the BHA’s priorities in delivering the plan’s outcomes.
Ensuring the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards is a priority. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing’s governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.
The Government welcomed the creation of the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), which was formed in March 2019. The Board is chaired by Barry Johnson, former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (who is independent of the BHA) and includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. The Board has assured Defra that it is committed to doing all it can to make the sport safer and improve welfare outcomes. The HWB published its five-year horse welfare strategy “A life well lived” last year:
http://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/Welfare/HWB/WELFARE_STRATEGY.pdf.
The strategy contains 20 recommendations for the industry aimed at ensuring the best possible safety and quality of life for racehorses.
One of the plan’s five identified outcomes (outcome 3 - 'Best possible safety') aims to reduce and minimise, as far as reasonably possible, avoidable injuries and fatalities to racehorses. This targets a reduction in injuries and fatalities on racecourses but also those that occur in, or as a result of, training or pre-training methods, or which are linked to breeding. The HWB has underlined the importance of data to better understand the causes of injuries and fatalities to help achieve this outcome.
Defra does not hold any information related to racehorse fatalities including those that have occurred during training. However, as well as collating and publishing data on racing fatalities, the BHA, following the recommendations contained within the HWB’s strategy, is working to improve data gathering in relation to thoroughbred racehorse fatalities in training. This includes analysis of data and reporting mechanisms which already exist regarding horses in training, and how these can be improved to provide additional data on fatal injuries.
The Secretary of State has not met representatives of either the BHA or the HWB between 2019 and now. I can confirm that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at that time met with the BHA’s Director of Equine Health and the HWB’s Independent Chair in May 2019 where both sides agreed that further action was required to make the sport safer and to improve animal welfare standards across the industry. My officials plan to meet with the BHA in due course and will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the welfare of racehorses, and reducing the fatalities and injuries that result from racing, remain at the forefront of the BHA’s priorities in delivering the plan’s outcomes.
Ensuring the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards is a priority. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing’s governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.
The Government welcomed the creation of the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), which was formed in March 2019. The Board is chaired by Barry Johnson, former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (who is independent of the BHA) and includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. The Board has assured Defra that it is committed to doing all it can to make the sport safer and improve welfare outcomes. The HWB published its five-year horse welfare strategy “A life well lived” last year:
http://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/Welfare/HWB/WELFARE_STRATEGY.pdf.
The strategy contains 20 recommendations for the industry aimed at ensuring the best possible safety and quality of life for racehorses.
One of the plan’s five identified outcomes (outcome 3 - 'Best possible safety') aims to reduce and minimise, as far as reasonably possible, avoidable injuries and fatalities to racehorses. This targets a reduction in injuries and fatalities on racecourses but also those that occur in, or as a result of, training or pre-training methods, or which are linked to breeding. The HWB has underlined the importance of data to better understand the causes of injuries and fatalities to help achieve this outcome.
Defra does not hold any information related to racehorse fatalities including those that have occurred during training. However, as well as collating and publishing data on racing fatalities, the BHA, following the recommendations contained within the HWB’s strategy, is working to improve data gathering in relation to thoroughbred racehorse fatalities in training. This includes analysis of data and reporting mechanisms which already exist regarding horses in training, and how these can be improved to provide additional data on fatal injuries.
The Secretary of State has not met representatives of either the BHA or the HWB between 2019 and now. I can confirm that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at that time met with the BHA’s Director of Equine Health and the HWB’s Independent Chair in May 2019 where both sides agreed that further action was required to make the sport safer and to improve animal welfare standards across the industry. My officials plan to meet with the BHA in due course and will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the welfare of racehorses, and reducing the fatalities and injuries that result from racing, remain at the forefront of the BHA’s priorities in delivering the plan’s outcomes.
Ensuring the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards is a priority. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing’s governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.
The Government welcomed the creation of the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), which was formed in March 2019. The Board is chaired by Barry Johnson, former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (who is independent of the BHA) and includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. The Board has assured Defra that it is committed to doing all it can to make the sport safer and improve welfare outcomes. The HWB published its five-year horse welfare strategy “A life well lived” last year:
http://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/Welfare/HWB/WELFARE_STRATEGY.pdf.
The strategy contains 20 recommendations for the industry aimed at ensuring the best possible safety and quality of life for racehorses.
One of the plan’s five identified outcomes (outcome 3 - 'Best possible safety') aims to reduce and minimise, as far as reasonably possible, avoidable injuries and fatalities to racehorses. This targets a reduction in injuries and fatalities on racecourses but also those that occur in, or as a result of, training or pre-training methods, or which are linked to breeding. The HWB has underlined the importance of data to better understand the causes of injuries and fatalities to help achieve this outcome.
Defra does not hold any information related to racehorse fatalities including those that have occurred during training. However, as well as collating and publishing data on racing fatalities, the BHA, following the recommendations contained within the HWB’s strategy, is working to improve data gathering in relation to thoroughbred racehorse fatalities in training. This includes analysis of data and reporting mechanisms which already exist regarding horses in training, and how these can be improved to provide additional data on fatal injuries.
The Secretary of State has not met representatives of either the BHA or the HWB between 2019 and now. I can confirm that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at that time met with the BHA’s Director of Equine Health and the HWB’s Independent Chair in May 2019 where both sides agreed that further action was required to make the sport safer and to improve animal welfare standards across the industry. My officials plan to meet with the BHA in due course and will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the welfare of racehorses, and reducing the fatalities and injuries that result from racing, remain at the forefront of the BHA’s priorities in delivering the plan’s outcomes.
In November 2020, there were 4,944 Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates issued for dogs entering the UK. In December 2020, there were 4,424 Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates issued for dogs entering the UK.
This response has been compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency from data provided by third parties, and as such is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.
The figures for dogs imported under the Balai Directive for 2020 are as follows:
Month | Dogs imported |
January | 4181 |
February | 4078 |
March | 2721 |
April | 654 |
May | 4828 |
June | 5072 |
July | 5789 |
August | 3815 |
September | 2386 |
October | 4108 |
November | 3411 |
December | 5446 |
The number of dogs imported using the Pet Travel Scheme for 2020 are as below:
Month | Dogs imported |
January | 22454 |
February | 12160 |
March | 13281 |
April | 1554 |
May | 4433 |
June | 7470 |
July | 17984 |
August | 33413 |
September | 23037 |
October | 16605 |
November | 12477 |
December | 17231 |
There were 24,499 Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates issued for dogs entering the UK from Romania in 2020.
Regarding contact with colleagues in Romania, Defra has been in routine contact at an official level with the relevant authorities in Romania, on matters concerning the movement of puppies and dogs, including on issues relating to biosecurity and animal health. Defra is committed to working constructively with our counterparts internationally to safeguard the welfare of these animals and protect the biosecurity of our country.
All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes under the Pet Travel Regime undergo 100% documentary and identity checks to ensure they are compliant with all the relevant vaccination, other health and documentary requirements. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) presently carry out post import checks at destination on commercial cats and dogs from the European Union (EU) on a risk-based approach. Defra has opted to implement this approach to protect our rabies-free status and the health of pets and people in the UK.
Regarding transportation, Defra has provided comprehensive information about the new requirements for transporting live animals into Great Britain to our counterparts in the EU and has encouraged them to share this with their own transporters.
45,447 Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates (ITAHCs) were issued for dogs entering the UK in 2020 from the following countries:
Country of Origin | ITAHCs |
Austria | 8 |
Belgium | 13 |
Bulgaria | 16 |
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) | 135 |
Cyprus | 4,277 |
Czech Republic | 108 |
Denmark | 2 |
Estonia | 8 |
Finland | 7 |
France | 13 |
Germany | 86 |
Greece | 355 |
Hungary | 3,739 |
Ireland | 2,804 |
Italy | 230 |
Latvia | 6 |
Lithuania | 94 |
Malta | 4 |
Poland | 3,415 |
Portugal | 242 |
Romania | 24,499 |
Slovakia (Slovak Republic) | 83 |
Slovenia | 4 |
Spain | 5,268 |
Sweden | 12 |
Switzerland | 1 |
The Netherlands | 18 |
There were 165,890 dogs imported under the Pet Travel Scheme during the same period. Figures for December 2020 will be confirmed once all relevant information has been submitted by pet checkers and carriers.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency recorded the following number of instances of avian flu within each nation during the last six months:
England - 17
Scotland - 1
Wales - 1
245,342 birds died of avian flu during this time. This data is only available for the captive birds at the 19 premises where disease was identified. This figure includes the birds culled as part of disease control operations.
In addition, we have recorded the following wild bird positive results for highly pathogenic avian influenza as part of the avian influenza survey of dead wild birds:
2020 – 277
2021 – 19
Avian influenza in wilds birds data is available on GOV.UK at the following link:- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-in-wild-birds.
212,646 birds were actively culled in reaction to avian flu outbreaks.
There were four premises declared as Slaughter on Suspicion cases, which were all recategorised as Infected Premises upon CVO confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8, and therefore data for these is included above.
There are different methods used to cull birds with avian flu. These are:
The data held only relates to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) welfare inspections undertaken. APHA conducted inspections to game birds and the subsequent actions were taken:
| Inspections | Holdings Inspected | Issued Letter | Follow Up Visit |
2019 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
2020 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 4 |
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) do not undertake specific compliance inspections for Avian Influenza. This is the responsibility of local authorities under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ), which ensures birds are housed or kept separate from wild birds. Local authorities are currently completing reactive inspections following complaints, and using a risk based approach during such inspections.
There is no requirement for local authorities to record or inform Scottish Government, Defra or Welsh Government of any inspections they have conducted. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the local authority to provide the details requested.
APHA do hold data as part of its disease management response. This is on behalf of Defra, Welsh Government and the Scottish Government and relates to disease surveillance visits in the 3km Protection Zones and 10km Surveillance Zones, and any direct and indirect contact tracing visits which are identified upon confirmation of disease.
This includes a census of premises and stock within the zones, and subsequent inspection and sampling to prove freedom from disease prior to lifting the legal Declaratory Orders in place around infected premises (usually 3km and 10km). An interactive map of current zones can be found on GOV.UK: https://defra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cb1883eda5547c6b91b5d5e6aeba90d
Outside of avian influenza outbreaks, APHA undertake a routine avian influenza survey on a random and risk based stratification of registered premises.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) does not undertake specific compliance inspections for Avian Influenza. This is the responsibility of local authorities under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ), which ensures birds are housed or kept separate from wild birds. Local authorities are currently completing reactive inspections following complaints, and using a risk based approach during such inspections.
There is no requirement for local authorities to record or inform the Scottish Government, Defra or the Welsh Government of any inspections they have conducted. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the local authority to provide the details requested.
APHA does hold data as part of its disease management response. This is on behalf of Defra, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government and relates to disease surveillance visits in the 3km Protection Zones and 10km Surveillance Zones, and any direct and indirect contact tracing visits which are identified upon confirmation of disease.
This includes a census of premises and stock within the zones, and subsequent inspection and sampling to prove freedom from disease prior to lifting the legal Declaratory Orders in place around infected premises (usually 3km and 10km). An interactive map of current zones can be found on GOV.UK: https://defra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cb1883eda5547c6b91b5d5e6aeba90d
Outside of avian influenza outbreaks, APHA undertakes a routine avian influenza survey on a random and risk-based stratification of registered premises.
The number of Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates (ITAHCs) issued for cats entering the UK in each month from January 2019 to November 2020 can be found below.
Month | ITAHCs |
Jan-19 | 177 |
Feb-19 | 178 |
Mar-19 | 170 |
Apr-19 | 136 |
May-19 | 115 |
Jun-19 | 112 |
Jul-19 | 124 |
Aug-19 | 137 |
Sep-19 | 201 |
Oct-19 | 282 |
Nov-19 | 178 |
Dec-19 | 143 |
Jan-20 | 203 |
Feb-20 | 144 |
Mar-20 | 70 |
Apr-20 | 43 |
May-20 | 101 |
Jun-20 | 142 |
Jul-20 | 214 |
Aug-20 | 301 |
Sep-20 | 356 |
Oct-20 | 486 |
Nov-20 | 506 |
The data for ITAHCs for cat imports was extracted from TRACES through the data warehouse facility by searching for imports of Felis catus. These figures cover all commercially imported cats including commercial kittens, rescue cats and unaccompanied pets.
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into TRACES by a third party.
This Government is committed to high standards of animal welfare. We are working to deliver a number of manifesto commitments that will strengthen our position as a world leader in this field at the end of the Transition Period.
The end of the Transition Period will present new opportunities for managing our own Pet Travel rules and welfare arrangements. 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.
Defra has no immediate plans to amend the tick or tapeworm controls for cats entering the UK. However, the end of the transition period will open up new opportunities for managing our own Pet Travel rules. We remain aware of the concerns around ticks, tick-borne disease and tapeworm. Our future policy will be guided by risk assessments and we have commissioned assessments to understand the risks posed by tapeworms, as well as ticks and tick-borne disease. Defra also continues to monitor the disease situation around ticks through the Tick Surveillance Scheme.
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.
In 2019 31,890 cats entered the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme.
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been provided by a third party.
It is a requirement of the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015 to report adverse reactions to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). Adverse reactions include microchip migration and any negative health reaction the veterinarian considers to be adverse. Although there is currently no legal obligation to report adverse reactions following microchipping of cats, the VMD encourages the reporting of these events. The Government will be issuing a public consultation on compulsory cat microchipping shortly.
According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association's (PFMA) Pet Population report, and the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals' (PDSA) Animal Wellbeing report, there are currently between 7.5 and 10.9 million cats owned as pets in the UK. The PDSA Animal Wellbeing report indicates that of those, it is thought that approximately 74% are microchipped. In 2019, voluntary adverse reaction data shows that 136 cats were recorded as having an adverse reaction. Of that figure, (a) 112 had failed, (b) 14 had migrated and (c) 10 had reacted.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency does not hold all of the information requested.
Under the Pet Travel Scheme, carriers complete and submit spreadsheets every month detailing their throughput. This is categorised by species, document type, non-compliance data and whether or not it is an assistance animal. Carriers do not provide information regarding who the animal was imported by.
Animals imported under the Balai Directive are imported on an Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate issued via the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). TRACES does not record whether the purpose of importation is for rehoming. While TRACES does identify the importer, it does not differentiate which importers are individual owners and which are rehoming organisations.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency does not hold all of the information requested.
Under the Pet Travel Scheme, carriers complete and submit spreadsheets every month detailing their throughput. This is categorised by species, document type, non-compliance data and whether or not it is an assistance animal. Carriers do not provide information regarding who the animal was imported by.
Animals imported under the Balai Directive are imported on an Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate issued via the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). TRACES does not record whether the purpose of importation is for rehoming. While TRACES does identify the importer, it does not differentiate which importers are individual owners and which are rehoming organisations.
4,433 dogs entered Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in May 2020.
33,413 dogs entered Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in August 2020. Data for September and October 2020 is not yet available.
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information supplied by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
This response has been compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency from data provided by third parties, and as such is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.
The number of Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificates (ITAHCs) issued for dogs entering the UK was 5,206 in September 2020 and 5,287 in October 2020.
The data for commercial dog imports was extracted from the Trade Control and Expert System via the data warehouse facility by searching for canis familiaris imports.
This response has been compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency from data provided by third parties, and as such is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.
4,433 dogs entered Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in May 2020.
33,413 dogs entered Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in August 2020. Data for September and October 2020 is not yet available.
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information supplied by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
This response has been compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency from data provided by third parties, and as such is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.
Between February 2019 and August 2020 there were 51,434 post-Balai import checks completed in Great Britain for commercially traded dogs, cats and ferrets imported under the Balai Directive. This will include both office-based documentary checks and post-import visits at the premises of destination.
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. We have legislation in place to ensure those guilty of offences are duly punished.
A maximum penalty of 12 months in prison or an unlimited fine apply to the legislative requirements that regulate the import of puppies into England.
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.
The number of Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificates (ITAHCs) issued for dogs entering the UK in June 2020 was 3,967, in July 2020 was 4,850 and in August 2020 was 3,916.
The data for ITAHCs was extracted from the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) by searching for imports of canis familiaris. These figures cover all commercially imported dogs including commercial puppies, rescue dogs, research dogs and unaccompanied pets.
TRACES is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal movements into and throughout the EU.
The number of dogs entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in June 2020 was 7,423 and in July 2020 was 5,423. Data for the number of dogs entering Great Britain in August 2020 is not yet available.
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
This information is based on information provided by third party pet checkers and importers, exporters and authorities in EU countries recording data on the TRACES system. Figures may be amended as third parties submit new data.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The wholesale sector is hugely important within the food and drink supply chain. To ensure its ongoing viability in difficult circumstances, the UK Government has provided a range of support. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of schemes, including: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment and the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes.
The Secretary of State speaks to his counterparts in the Scottish Government, including through the Defra multilateral Inter Ministerial Group, on a regular basis when they discuss a range of issues.
Discussions also take place regularly at official level and these cover sharing of sectoral information and updates on Government activities.
Food supply is a devolved matter. It is therefore for the Scottish Government to decide what discussions they have with their sectors and what support to provide beyond that delivered at UK level in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The wholesale sector is hugely important within the food and drink supply chain. To ensure its ongoing viability in difficult circumstances, the UK Government has provided a range of support. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of schemes, including: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment and the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes.
The Secretary of State speaks to his counterparts in the Scottish Government, including through the Defra multilateral Inter Ministerial Group, on a regular basis when they discuss a range of issues.
Discussions also take place regularly at official level and these cover sharing of sectoral information and updates on Government activities.
Food supply is a devolved matter. It is therefore for the Scottish Government to decide what discussions they have with their sectors and what support to provide beyond that delivered at UK level in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal and animal product movements into and throughout the EU.
The below data regarding the number of Intra-Trade Animals Health Certificates (ITAHCs) issued for dogs entering the UK was extracted from TRACES.
Month | ITAHCs issued |
Feb-19 | 2037 |
Mar-19 | 2393 |
Apr-19 | 1895 |
May-19 | 2244 |
Jun-19 | 1929 |
Jul-19 | 2081 |
Aug-19 | 1954 |
Sep-19 | 2623 |
Oct-19 | 3244 |
Nov-19 | 2287 |
Dec-19 | 2025 |
Jan-20 | 2580 |
Feb-20 | 2373 |
Mar-20 | 1321 |
Apr-20 | 660 |
May-20 | 3220 |
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
The number of dogs entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme from January 2020 to April 2020 is as follows.
Jan-20: 22,454
Feb-20: 12,160
Mar-20: 13,233
Apr-20: 1,546
Data for dogs entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in May 2020 is not yet available. This is because checkers are not required to submit their throughput returns to the Animal and Plant Health Agency until the end of the following month.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency is not able to provide data regarding this matter.
Dogs entering the UK from the EU do so on an Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate (ITAHC) issued via the Trade Control and Expert System.
There is no requirement for the certifying veterinarian to add the vehicle registration to the ITAHC and there can be multiple vehicles per ITAHC. Usually, the vehicle registration is not entered onto the ITAHC when it is created because the certifying veterinarian will have no knowledge of which vehicle is going to be used. They can inspect the consignment at any time in the 48 hours prior to travel, so it is unlikely that the transport will have arrived when they are doing their inspection.
The number of dogs that were imported to the UK using the Balai Directive in 2019 was 44,563.
The breakdown of this figure by country is as follows:
Country of Origin | Dogs | Country of Origin | Dogs |
Antigua and Barbuda | 2 | Latvia | 1 |
Argentina | 32 | Lebanon | 7 |
Australia | 275 | Lithuania | 5 |
Austria | 1 | Macao | 50 |
Azerbaijan | 2 | Malaysia | 29 |
Bahrain | 7 | Malta | 12 |
Barbados | 1 | Mauritius | 17 |
Bermuda | 9 | Mexico | 16 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 174 | Namibia | 7 |
Brazil | 201 | Netherlands | 70 |
Bulgaria | 220 | New Zealand | 73 |
Canada | 82 | Nigeria | 1 |
Cayman Islands | 15 | Norway | 1 |
Chile | 1 | Oman | 1 |
China | 29 | Peru | 7 |
Colombia | 17 | Philippines | 2 |
Costa Rica | 6 | Poland | 1160 |
Croatia | 153 | Portugal | 47 |
Cyprus | 3457 | Puerto Rico | 2 |
Czech Republic | 73 | Qatar | 22 |
Denmark | 2 | Romania | 19487 |
Egypt | 68 | Russia | 70 |
Estonia | 1 | Saudi Arabia | 5 |
Falkland Islands | 1 | Serbia | 2 |
Fiji | 1 | Singapore | 42 |
Finland | 1 | Slovakia | 27 |
France | 78 | Slovenia | 2 |
French Polynesia | 1 | South Africa | 529 |
Germany | 31 | Spain | 4891 |
Greece | 294 | Sweden | 18 |
Hong Kong | 50 | Switzerland | 1 |
Hungary | 2145 | Taiwan | 7 |
India | 35 | Tanzania | 2 |
Iran | 14 | Thailand | 4 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 7368 | Turkey | 76 |
Israel | 8 | Turks and Caicos | 2 |
Italy | 20 | UAE | 292 |
Japan | 5 | Uganda | 2 |
Jordan | 3 | Ukraine | 1 |
Kazakhstan | 3 | Uruguay | 3 |
Kenya | 12 | USA | 2604 |
Korea (North) | 1 | Vietnam | 16 |
Korea (South) | 30 | Zimbabwe | 16 |
Kuwait | 5 |
The data for commercial imports covers the number of animals imported to the UK and was extracted from the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) through the Qlikview facility by searching for imports of Canis familiaris in 2019 to the United Kingdom. These figures cover all commercially imported dogs, including commercial puppies, rescue dogs, research dogs and unaccompanied pets.
The information that the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have provided is a true reflection of the information that is held. The APHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as the information that has been entered into TRACES by a third party.
The number of dogs that were imported to Great Britain via the Pet Travel Scheme (PTS) in 2019 was 307,263.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is unable to provide a breakdown of the number of dogs travelling under the scheme by country of origin as it does not hold that information.
The data regarding the PTS is taken from the APHA system for recording pets throughput based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
The information that APHA has provided is a true reflection of the information that is held. APHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as it can only rely on the information that has been entered into the pets returns by a third party.
The number of dogs seized and taken into quarantine at the ports of Dover and Folkestone for each month of 2019 was as follows.
Year | Month | Inspection location | Puppies Quarantined |
2019 | January | Eurotunnel | 5 |
Dover | 10 | ||
February | Eurotunnel | 2 | |
Dover | 4 | ||
March | Eurotunnel | 2 | |
Dover | 12 | ||
April | Eurotunnel | 5 | |
Dover | 5 | ||
May | Eurotunnel | 3 | |
Dover | 9 | ||
June | Eurotunnel | 7 | |
Dover | 8 | ||
July | Eurotunnel | 0 | |
Dover | 0 | ||
August | Eurotunnel | 11 | |
Dover | 3 | ||
September | Eurotunnel | 6 | |
Dover | 2 | ||
October | Eurotunnel | 5 | |
Dover | 5 | ||
November | Eurotunnel | 6 | |
Dover | 7 | ||
December | Eurotunnel | 0 | |
Dover | 17 |
The number of animals detained in quarantine for Eurotunnel may also include dogs that were seized at Coquelles and moved into the United Kingdom for quarantine purposes.
The UK has robust measures and guidance to protect against the introduction of exotic diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF). These measures include import bans on livestock and products of animal origin from high risk areas, a movement standstill regime and a ban on feeding swill to pigs.
UK authorities at the border also carry out documentary checks to ensure the country of origin of the animal or product is ASF disease free.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s International Disease Monitoring team regularly assess the changing global animal disease presence and its potential risk to the UK. The most recent assessment was made in December 2019. These ASF assessments are published on the GOV.UK website.
To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, together with the Scottish and Welsh Governments and DAERA in Northern Ireland, the UK pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK, the importance of good biosecurity and what steps can be taken to protect the UK pig herd.
A targeted campaign was launched last summer at the UK’s border to help keep ASF out of the country. This includes displaying information and posters to raise awareness among passengers entering the UK of the risks of bringing back contaminated products. We also undertake extensive work with Border Force on intelligence-led operations to ensure no affected products cross our borders.
The UK is ahead of most other pig producing countries in that 40% of sows already farrow freely on outdoor pig units and are not confined to crates. The Government believes the aim should be for farrowing crates not to be necessary. It is important that we make progress towards a system which both works commercially and safeguards the welfare of the sow as well as the piglets, and that we do so as quickly as possible so that crates can be consigned to history.
Our country’s high animal welfare standards are something to be proud of and we will work continuously to ensure they are maintained and improved. A new statutory welfare code for pigs was laid in Parliament on 9 September 2019 and will come into force shortly. It sets out the highest standards on how best to keep pigs, using the latest scientific and veterinary advice to safeguard and enhance welfare standards.
The Department has submitted its application to allow the UK to become a Part 1 listed third country under Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations and is currently seeking technical discussions with the European Commission. It is now for the Commission to consider our application for listed status, following our exit from the EU.
The UK announced our new pledge of £160 million in humanitarian funding for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 2 June, of which 32% has already been disbursed.
The package as a whole will help tackle the wide-ranging, direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 in Yemen which are already exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis. Our support will also specifically provide over 700,000 medical consultations, train 12,000 healthcare workers to work safely in a COVID-19 environment and provide a much-needed boost to nearly 4,000 health centres.
The UK announced our new pledge of £160 million in humanitarian funding for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 2 June.
As part of this commitment, the UK will support the UN’s plans to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in Yemen and expects to provide over 700,000 medical consultations, train 12,000 healthcare workers to work safely in a COVID-19 environment and provide a much-needed boost to nearly 4,000 health centres to continue providing existing health services.
In addition, the UK is also supporting the Yemeni Private Sector Cluster, which in April sourced a vital shipment of COVID-19 related supplies and equipment for Yemen.
The UK announced our new pledge of £160 million in humanitarian funding for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 2 June.
As part of this commitment, the UK will support the UN’s plans to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in Yemen and expects to provide over 700,000 medical consultations, train 12,000 healthcare workers to work safely in a COVID-19 environment and provide a much-needed boost to nearly 4,000 health centres to continue providing existing health services.
In addition, the UK is also supporting the Yemeni Private Sector Cluster, which in April sourced a vital shipment of COVID-19 related supplies and equipment for Yemen.
The Department for International Development (DFID) does not currently spend Official Development Assistance (ODA) specifically on operational anti-narcotic services, although the Department does spend ODA to tackle the underlying drivers, enablers and consequences associated with serious and organised crime in developing countries
Other government departments and agencies with responsibility for law enforcement spend ODA on counter-narcotics programming via the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), which supports and delivers activity to tackle instability and to prevent conflicts that threaten UK interests. DFID does not keep track of this specific expenditure. Further information on CSSF ODA allocation can be found online at gov.uk.
The Department for International Development (DFID) does not currently spend Official Development Assistance (ODA) specifically on operational anti-narcotic services, although the Department does spend ODA to tackle the underlying drivers, enablers and consequences associated with serious and organised crime in developing countries
Other government departments and agencies with responsibility for law enforcement spend ODA on counter-narcotics programming via the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), which supports and delivers activity to tackle instability and to prevent conflicts that threaten UK interests. DFID does not keep track of this specific expenditure. Further information on CSSF ODA allocation can be found online at gov.uk.
The Government takes the issue of tackling the illegal production and trafficking of drugs seriously. UK Aid currently support developing nations to strengthen their law enforcement and criminal justice capability, enabling them to tackle serious organised crime more effectively.
Most evidence concludes that attaching conditions to aid does not bring about policy changes that governments were not already prioritising. Instead DFID works closely with partner governments to make a positive, evidence-based case for change.
Our assessment of a government’s commitment to reducing poverty, achieving the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, along with respecting human rights and other international obligations is used to inform our overall strategy for engagement in all countries in which DFID has a bilateral aid partnership.
According to information held by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) cases have been brought by UK investors under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) on 16 occasions. Of these, 8 relate to the renewable energy sector, and 8 to the oil, gas, and mining sectors. Full case details can be found on the UNCTAD website.
Where the United Kingdom and her treaty partners agree deals containing investment protections and Investor-State Dispute Settlement, they retain the right to regulate in the public interest, including for environmental purposes. The right to regulate is recognised in international law.
An agreement with India will aim to tackle and reduce the barriers and difficulties faced by British investors. HM Government’s approach to negotiations with India is publicly available at GOV.UK.
The Department for International Trade does not produce or hold data on how much funding the UK has invested in Kazakhstan’s energy sector. However, data on UK investment is published by the Office for National Statistics, and can be accessed via the Department for International Trade and Investment Factsheets: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/trade-and-investment-factsheets
HM Government shares the public’s high regard for our nation’s environmental protections and has made clear that more trade need not come at the expense of our values.
In our trade agreements, we will seek to maintain the United Kingdom’s strong environmental protection, sovereign right to regulate in pursuit of net zero by 2050, and affirm our commitments to multilateral environment agreements, including the Paris Agreement. We will pursue mechanisms to enhance cooperation on environmental sustainability, including in biodiversity, forestry and sustainable supply chains, in the months and years ahead.
The UK and US have a strong and enduring trading relationship. The Government welcomes the decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency to end testing on mammals by 2035 and do not anticipate that this will cause any disruption to UK trade with the US.
In these cases, the names of companies are commercially sensitive and will not be disclosed.
HM Government takes its export responsibilities seriously and will continue to assess all export licences in accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the ‘Consolidated Criteria’). HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
We continue to monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories closely, and keep relevant licences under review. We will take action to suspend, refuse or revoke licences – in line with the Consolidated Criteria – if circumstances require.
The items on the relevant twelve licences were:
Components for military aero-engines | One licence |
Components for targeting equipment | Three licences |
Components for military radars | Three licences |
Technology for military aero-engines and technology for naval engines | One licence |
Components for combat aircraft | Two licences |
Components for tanks | One licence |
Launching/handling/control equipment for munitions | One licence |
HM Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted, refused and revoked to all destinations on GOV.UK containing detailed information including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences.
On 12th August 2014, HM Government said it was concerned that, in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities, it would not be able to clarify if the export licence criteria were being met and, accordingly, would suspend the twelve licences identified.
Today, HM Government is satisfied that we are able to assess extant licences and new applications against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (‘the Consolidated Criteria’).
We continue to monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories closely and keep relevant licences under review. We will take action to suspend, refuse or revoke licences – in line with the Consolidated Criteria – if circumstances require.
HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
The Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was published on 26 November 2021. The UK Government is grateful to Sir Peter Hendy for his work and is considering his recommendations carefully, to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK.
Baroness Vere discussed the UCR recommendations with Graeme Dey MSP, the former Scottish Government Transport Minister, and discussions continue at official level. Baroness Vere has invited the Scottish Government Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, to discuss the UCR recommendations.
The Union Connectivity Review (UCR) was published on 26 November 2021. The UK Government is grateful to Sir Peter Hendy for his work and is considering his recommendations carefully, to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK.
Baroness Vere discussed the UCR recommendations with Graeme Dey MSP, the former Scottish Government Transport Minister, and discussions continue at official level. Baroness Vere has invited the Scottish Government Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, to discuss the UCR recommendations.
The Department for Transport, working with other government departments, is working through the process to introduce legislation to ensure that any ferry operator frequently accessing a UK port pays an equivalent to the national minimum wage (NMW) while in our waters.
It is our intent to ensure that all seafarers working on ferries operating internationally out of the UK are paid at least the equivalent of the minimum wage for their time spent in the UK territorial waters and to further strengthen that protection with bilateral agreements with our neighbours to provide ‘minimum wage corridors’ between the UK, Ireland and Continental Europe.
As part of this process, we will be launching a public consultation which will seek views on which operators should be within scope of the regulation.
The National Minimum Wage (Offshore Employment) Order 2020 extended the provisions of the UK national minimum wage to all seafarers working in the oil and gas industry where that work was undertaken in support of UK activity and within the UK Continental Shelf. The National Minimum Wage Act 1999 does not make explicit reference to the Exclusive Economic Zone and therefore cannot be applied to those working in the offshore renewables sector where that work is beyond the limits of the UK territorial waters.
As of December 2021, there are fourteen publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK that provide hydrogen suitable for use by vehicles. The information on suitability of access for all buses and the availability of green or blue hydrogen is not currently available.
Government remains committed to supporting the introduction of 4,000 zero emission buses (ZEB) with over £525 million funding available this Parliament. Through our Low and Ultra Low Emission Bus Schemes, Government is already supporting the deployment of over 60 hydrogen fuel cell buses in England. Many local areas are seeking funding to introduce hydrogen fuel cell buses and associated infrastructure through the £270m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, which will award funding to successful areas through the standard track in spring 2022.
The Union Connectivity Review was published on 26 November 2021. The UK Government is grateful to Sir Peter Hendy for his work and will consider his recommendations carefully, working collaboratively with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK. We intend to respond formally to the Union Connectivity Review as swiftly as possible.
There is no direct connection between the licensing of offshore renewables projects and the standards for living and working conditions applying to supply boats working in the sector. The standards for living and working conditions for seafarers on all merchant ships is the International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (“the MLC”). The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has the powers to enforce the standards of the MLC on all UK flagged ships and all other merchant ships calling in UK ports or operating in UK territorial waters.
The Harbours Act 1964 (the Act) sets out the legal framework relating to charges levied by ports and Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) across Great Britain. The functions and powers of the Secretary of State in the Act relating to charges have been devolved to Scottish Ministers for SHAs in Scotland.
The Act gives SHAs the power to levy charges for use of their harbour. It requires that certain charges of SHAs are reasonable (see section 27 of the Act) and also provides a right of objection to ship, passenger and goods dues levied by an SHA (see section 31), amongst other provisions. For SHAs in Scotland, the right of objection in section 31 is to the Scottish Ministers.
Policy and legislative responsibility in relation to Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) located in devolved administrations have largely been devolved by statute to the respective governments and legislatures. An exception is in Wales, where reserved trust ports (of which there is one, Milford Haven Port Authority) and cross-border harbours remain the responsibility of the UK government and parliament.
No formal assessment of these arrangements, which are longstanding in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland, has been made by the Department for Transport . Any rights and powers that local authorities have over SHAs are likely to be included in the local legislation applying to individual SHAs. It should be noted that Local Authorities themselves may be SHAs for harbours and ports that they own and manage. Ministers and officials meet regularly with their DA counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) have their duties and powers to manage a harbour set out in legislation, which is a mix of local legislation specific to that SHA as well as general harbour related legislation. While the specific duties will vary from SHA to SHA, in general terms their purpose is to maintain, manage and improve the harbour which they are responsible for in the broad public interest. In England and for reserved harbours in Wales, SHAs are either private companies, independent statutory bodies known as Trust Ports or owned by Local authorities. All SHAs should act within their powers to meet their statutory duties as set out in the relevant legislation. A failure to act in accordance with those duties could lead to the SHA facing legal challenges (such as judicial review proceedings) for breach of their statutory obligations.. In 2018, the Department for Transport issued Ports Good Governance Guidance applying to all SHAs in England and Wales it has policy responsibility for setting out best practice guidance on governance and a range of other issues.
Policy and legislative responsibility in relation to Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) located in devolved administrations have largely been devolved by statute to the respective governments and legislatures. An exception is in Wales, where reserved trust ports (of which there is one, Milford Haven Port Authority) and cross-border harbours remain the responsibility of the UK government and parliament.
No formal assessment of these arrangements, which are longstanding in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland, has been made by the Department for Transport . Any rights and powers that local authorities have over SHAs are likely to be included in the local legislation applying to individual SHAs. It should be noted that Local Authorities themselves may be SHAs for harbours and ports that they own and manage. Ministers and officials meet regularly with their DA counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) have their duties and powers to manage a harbour set out in legislation, which is a mix of local legislation specific to that SHA as well as general harbour related legislation. While the specific duties will vary from SHA to SHA, in general terms their purpose is to maintain, manage and improve the harbour which they are responsible for in the broad public interest. In England and for reserved harbours in Wales, SHAs are either private companies, independent statutory bodies known as Trust Ports or owned by Local authorities. All SHAs should act within their powers to meet their statutory duties as set out in the relevant legislation. A failure to act in accordance with those duties could lead to the SHA facing legal challenges (such as judicial review proceedings) for breach of their statutory obligations.. In 2018, the Department for Transport issued Ports Good Governance Guidance applying to all SHAs in England and Wales it has policy responsibility for setting out best practice guidance on governance and a range of other issues.
Policy and legislative responsibility in relation to Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) located in devolved administrations have largely been devolved by statute to the respective governments and legislatures. An exception is in Wales, where reserved trust ports (of which there is one, Milford Haven Port Authority) and cross-border harbours remain the responsibility of the UK government and parliament.
No formal assessment of these arrangements, which are longstanding in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland, has been made by the Department for Transport . Any rights and powers that local authorities have over SHAs are likely to be included in the local legislation applying to individual SHAs. It should be noted that Local Authorities themselves may be SHAs for harbours and ports that they own and manage. Ministers and officials meet regularly with their DA counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) have their duties and powers to manage a harbour set out in legislation, which is a mix of local legislation specific to that SHA as well as general harbour related legislation. While the specific duties will vary from SHA to SHA, in general terms their purpose is to maintain, manage and improve the harbour which they are responsible for in the broad public interest. In England and for reserved harbours in Wales, SHAs are either private companies, independent statutory bodies known as Trust Ports or owned by Local authorities. All SHAs should act within their powers to meet their statutory duties as set out in the relevant legislation. A failure to act in accordance with those duties could lead to the SHA facing legal challenges (such as judicial review proceedings) for breach of their statutory obligations.. In 2018, the Department for Transport issued Ports Good Governance Guidance applying to all SHAs in England and Wales it has policy responsibility for setting out best practice guidance on governance and a range of other issues.
Policy and legislative responsibility in relation to Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) located in devolved administrations have largely been devolved by statute to the respective governments and legislatures. An exception is in Wales, where reserved trust ports (of which there is one, Milford Haven Port Authority) and cross-border harbours remain the responsibility of the UK government and parliament.
No formal assessment of these arrangements, which are longstanding in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland, has been made by the Department for Transport . Any rights and powers that local authorities have over SHAs are likely to be included in the local legislation applying to individual SHAs. It should be noted that Local Authorities themselves may be SHAs for harbours and ports that they own and manage. Ministers and officials meet regularly with their DA counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) have their duties and powers to manage a harbour set out in legislation, which is a mix of local legislation specific to that SHA as well as general harbour related legislation. While the specific duties will vary from SHA to SHA, in general terms their purpose is to maintain, manage and improve the harbour which they are responsible for in the broad public interest. In England and for reserved harbours in Wales, SHAs are either private companies, independent statutory bodies known as Trust Ports or owned by Local authorities. All SHAs should act within their powers to meet their statutory duties as set out in the relevant legislation. A failure to act in accordance with those duties could lead to the SHA facing legal challenges (such as judicial review proceedings) for breach of their statutory obligations.. In 2018, the Department for Transport issued Ports Good Governance Guidance applying to all SHAs in England and Wales it has policy responsibility for setting out best practice guidance on governance and a range of other issues.
Policy and legislative responsibility in relation to Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) located in devolved administrations have largely been devolved by statute to the respective governments and legislatures. An exception is in Wales, where reserved trust ports (of which there is one, Milford Haven Port Authority) and cross-border harbours remain the responsibility of the UK government and parliament.
No formal assessment of these arrangements, which are longstanding in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland, has been made by the Department for Transport . Any rights and powers that local authorities have over SHAs are likely to be included in the local legislation applying to individual SHAs. It should be noted that Local Authorities themselves may be SHAs for harbours and ports that they own and manage. Ministers and officials meet regularly with their DA counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs) have their duties and powers to manage a harbour set out in legislation, which is a mix of local legislation specific to that SHA as well as general harbour related legislation. While the specific duties will vary from SHA to SHA, in general terms their purpose is to maintain, manage and improve the harbour which they are responsible for in the broad public interest. In England and for reserved harbours in Wales, SHAs are either private companies, independent statutory bodies known as Trust Ports or owned by Local authorities. All SHAs should act within their powers to meet their statutory duties as set out in the relevant legislation. A failure to act in accordance with those duties could lead to the SHA facing legal challenges (such as judicial review proceedings) for breach of their statutory obligations.. In 2018, the Department for Transport issued Ports Good Governance Guidance applying to all SHAs in England and Wales it has policy responsibility for setting out best practice guidance on governance and a range of other issues.
This Department has not made an assessment of this matter as it is not the competition regulator for the maritime sector. Any evidence of alleged anti-competitive behaviour can be reported to the Competition and Markets Authority.
The retained EU drivers’ hours rules (Regulation (EC) 561/2006) and the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 are based on well-established international rules that ensure drivers of in scope vehicles are not required to drive and work excessively long hours. We have no current plans to review these rules in the context of short ferry crossings. Currently, drivers on a short ferry crossing can record any time where they are not doing any work as either a ‘break period’ or a ‘period of availability’. The times of breaks, rests, and periods of availability are not included in the calculation of working time.
The retained EU drivers’ hours rules (Regulation (EC) 561/2006) and the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 are based on well-established international rules that ensure drivers of in scope vehicles are not required to drive and work excessively long hours. We have no current plans to review these rules to cover circumstances in which drivers are travelling in remote areas. Drivers and operators should plan journeys to ensure that they can be completed within the rules, including making allowances for required rest periods and typical traffic. We understand that drivers may be subject to unforeseeable events; in such circumstances, as long as road safety is not jeopardised, the retained EU drivers’ hours rules do permit a driver to temporarily extend their driving time to reach a suitable stopping place, to the extent necessary to ensure the safety of persons, of the vehicle or its load. In addition, changes to the retained EU drivers’ hours rules, which came into force in August 2020, now allow drivers, in exceptional circumstances, to extend their driving time up to two hours to reach their place of work or their home to take their weekly rest, again as long as road safety is not jeopardised. Drivers must note all the reasons for doing so on the back of their tachograph record sheets. The retained EU drivers’ hours rules already provide plenty of flexibility for drivers and also allow the Department to make temporary relaxations in urgent and exceptional circumstances.
Road to Logistics is working with two hauliers based in Scotland and has identified candidates to undertake the training.
Under current rail legislation, Scottish Ministers are responsible for setting the strategy for rail in Scotland. Scottish Ministers have well established relationships with Network Rail at a regional level and with the UK executive team and hold regular discussions.
The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail includes a commitment to work with Transport Scotland to enable the railway in Scotland to benefit from the reforms on the wider network of Great Britain.
The number of privately-kept cars at the end of June 2021, and the mid-year population estimates for 2020 are outlined below:
Local authority area | Privately-kept cars per 10,000 capita | Number of privately-kept cars at the end of June 2021 a | Total mid-year population estimate for 2020 b |
City of Bradford | 3,701 | 200,623 | 542,128 |
City of Bristol | 3,781 | 176,161 | 465,866 |
City of Glasgow | 2,982 | 189,531 | 635,640 |
Liverpool | 2,875 | 143,911 | 500,474 |
Manchester | 2,734 | 151,934 | 555,741 |
Newcastle upon Tyne | 3,028 | 92,895 | 306,824 |
a. Sourced from DVLA data, based on registration address. Excludes company-kept cars registered in each local authority
b. Sourced from ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates
The Government supports the future growth and success of international passenger rail services, which provide many benefits for passengers, businesses and the wider economy including significant environmental benefits.
The Government regularly engages with international partners, as well as industry, to discuss and encourage the expansion of international rail connections to Europe. The Government stands ready to engage with other partners and private operators to facilitate potential new sleeper services, where there is a commercial proposition to do so.
EU Motorways of the Sea funding is provided by the Connecting Europe Facility Transport programme (CEF-T), which focused its funding on major cross-border links for surface transport. Given the limited nature of cross-border surface routes between the UK and EU, CEF-T receipts for UK entities have been far less than for EU Member States. Consequently, the Government decided to end participation in the CEF programme.
The Maritime sector is largely private in the UK so decisions on establishment and funding of international ferry routes are for individual companies operating in the market.
We have not received representations from the Scottish Government on financial support for (a) ports and (b) ship operators in connection with services from Scotland to the European continent.
However, any such service would have to operate on a commercially viable basis and this would be a matter for any prospective ferry operator to consider.
Department for Transport officials have had several meetings with Transport Scotland and Network Rail officials with regards to the Edinburgh to Berwick and Newcastle passenger rail service.
Department for Transport officials have had several meetings with Transport Scotland and Network Rail officials with regards to the Edinburgh to Berwick and Newcastle passenger rail service.
Department for Transport officials have had several meetings with Transport Scotland and Network Rail officials with regards to the Edinburgh to Berwick and Newcastle passenger rail service.
Department for Transport officials have had several meetings with Transport Scotland and Network Rail officials with regards to the Edinburgh to Berwick and Newcastle passenger rail service.
Quarterly statistics are not available. ORR publish National Statistics on annual suicides or suspected suicides on mainline rail and the London Underground:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/health-and-safety/rail-safety/
The current East Coast Main Line Enhancements Programme will already improve services between Edinburgh, Newcastle and south towards London, with more seats and regular faster trains in a new timetable expected to operate from May 2022. The Department is working closely with stakeholders to explore opportunities to further improve performance on the East Coast Main Line, and is currently awaiting the outputs of Network Rail’s analysis of capacity constraints on the route between Newcastle and Edinburgh.
In addition, the Union Connectivity Review, led by Sir Peter Hendy and expected to report in the summer, will make recommendations on how connectivity can be improved between Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.
The East Coast Main Line Enhancements Programme and roll-out of Azuma trains will improve services between Edinburgh, Newcastle and south towards London, with more seats and regular faster trains in a new timetable expected to operate from May 2022. Officials have been in regular contact with Transport Scotland to ensure that operators under contract to the Department for Transport can support intermediate connections, for example to Scotland’s new station at Reston, until such time as Transport Scotland is able to provide the services.
The Drink Drive rehabilitation (DDR) course was designed to be delivered in face-to-face group sessions and has been evaluated as successfully reducing repeat drink-drive offences by those who have completed the course.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is reviewing whether courses could be delivered entirely on-line with the same success rate for reducing repeat drink-drive offences as the current classroom-based course.
The Department for Transport has commenced with initial scoping work on a Rural Roads Working Group. The focus of this group is to bring together a range of groups to better understand the diverse issues of road safety in rural areas.
Work will continue to be progressed as quickly as possible once the current focus on handling the COVID-19 crisis and our recovery has eased.
As part of the Road Safety Statement, the Department has commissioned research to explore visual impairments and road casualties, and to understand the extent to which driver eyesight problems or visual impairments pose a road safety risk in the UK. This research is nearing completion and the findings will be used to consider if there is a need to introduce a mandatory eyesight test at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter.
In July 2019, the Department for Transport published its Road Safety Statement and two-year action plan to address road safety issues. The work being undertaken includes consideration of the arrangements for assessing eyesight for drivers who may pose a risk to road safety. The statement can be found online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-statement-2019-a-lifetime-of-road-safety
In line with the Government’s guidance on social distancing, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has advised drink drive rehabilitation (DDR) course providers not to start any new classroom-based rehabilitation courses, until further notice. Offenders who have already taken the first, or first and second day of a three-day DDR course, can complete their course remotely on a suitable digital platform.
The Department holds limited information currently on the safety of in-vehicle infotainment systems. The Department commissioned fundamental research in the late 1990s with TRL Ltd that coincided with the rapid development of such systems, and satellite navigation devices.
This research formed the basis for wider activity across a number of countries and resulted in the “European Statement of Principles on Human Machine Interface”.
The Department is aware of the recently published report from IAM RoadSmart and will be reviewing it in detail. The Highway Code already warns drivers about the danger of driver distraction, reminds them of the importance of exercising proper control of their vehicle at all times and advises them to stop if they need to look at screen-based information.
The Government announced on the 30 August 2019 £30m worth of funding for upgrades to port infrastructure, road and rail links and to build resilience within local government, which included the £10m Ports Infrastructure and Connectivity and Resilience Fund. This funding was related to English ports and Local Resilience Forums only.
As with all funding of this nature the Devolved Administrations received consequential allocations based on the Barnett formula directly related to the amount allocated to this port infrastructure funding package. The amount allocated to Scotland was £2.9m.
My Department received 28 Ports Infrastructure and Connectivity and Resilience Fund applications. They were from Bristol, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe, Harwich, Heysham, Hull, Immingham, Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Lancaster, Liverpool, London Gateway, Newhaven, Pembroke Dock, Plymouth, Poole, Port of London, Portland, Portsmouth, Sheerness, Shoreham, Southampton, Teesport, Thames Oilport, Thamesport, Tilbury, and Tyne.
So far a total of £265,458.50 in grants has been paid to the successful applicants who have completed their projects and provided fully verified expenditure documentation for these projects. We expect that this amount will increase rapidly over the next month or so as my Department receives, and is able to verify, the relevant documentation from the remaining successful applicants.
There are no immediate plans to lower the drink drive limit in England and Wales. The Government believes that rigorous enforcement and serious penalties for drink drivers are a more effective deterrent than changing the drink driving limit.
The Scotland Act 2012 provided amendments to the original 1998 Scotland Act which included devolving the power to prescribe drink driving limits in Scotland.
There are currently no plans to devolve the powers to vary penalties.
Local traffic authorities are best placed to set local speed limits based on local needs and priorities. The Government has no plans to consider making 20mph the default speed limit on urban and restricted roads in England. Setting national speed limits in Scotland and in Wales are matters for the Scottish and Welsh governments respectively.
In November 2018, the Department published its comprehensive three-year study of the effect of 20 mph limits. The report is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/20-mph-speed-limits-on-roads.
Some of the key findings from the research include that 20mph limits are supported by most residents and drivers, and that introducing a 20mph limit may reduce traffic speed by around 1 mph. Encouragingly, vehicles travelling at higher speeds before the introduction of the 20mph limit have reduced their speed more than those already travelling at lower speeds. However, there is not enough evidence to conclude that that there has been a significant change in collisions and casualties following the introduction of 20mph limits in residential areas.
In the quarter from November 2020 to February 2021 there were 979,217 individuals in receipt of State Pension in Scotland. This information can be accessed here:
We cannot provide the information on what proportion of the total population of Scotland are in receipt of state pension as we only hold information on customers.
The Scottish Government published a forecast of State Pension expenditure in Scotland for 2020/21 of £8,517m. This can be found here:
Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2020-21 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
The timescale for the introduction of the Scottish Government’s replacement disability benefits is a matter for the Scottish Government. The Department is in regular discussions at ministerial, policy and operational level with their Scottish Government counterparts to ensure a safe and secure transition to the Scottish Government’s replacement benefits when they are introduced. There have been no formal representations received on the further devolution of social security in Scotland. This Government’s priority is ensuring the successful transfer of the social security benefits already devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016.
The timescale for the introduction of the Scottish Government’s replacement disability benefits is a matter for the Scottish Government. The Department is in regular discussions at ministerial, policy and operational level with their Scottish Government counterparts to ensure a safe and secure transition to the Scottish Government’s replacement benefits when they are introduced. There have been no formal representations received on the further devolution of social security in Scotland. This Government’s priority is ensuring the successful transfer of the social security benefits already devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016.
The timescale for the introduction of the Scottish Government’s replacement disability benefits is a matter for the Scottish Government. The Department is in regular discussions at ministerial, policy and operational level with their Scottish Government counterparts to ensure a safe and secure transition to the Scottish Government’s replacement benefits when they are introduced. There have been no formal representations received on the further devolution of social security in Scotland. This Government’s priority is ensuring the successful transfer of the social security benefits already devolved to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016.
Payments made under the War Pension Scheme or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are not taken into account as income in Universal Credit.
Income-related benefits already partially disregard War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments for injuries and bereavement. With the introduction of Universal Credit, we have gone a step further, and have ensured that War Pensions and all Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments are fully disregarded in the assessment of income for Universal Credit.
All other regular, occupational and personal pension payments, that are designed to provide support to help people meet their living costs, are taken fully into account in the assessment of entitlement to Universal Credit.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 June 2022 to Question 14633.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 June 2022 to Question 14633.
The Government has announced its intention to consult on whether to introduce mandatory calorie labelling on prepacked alcohol and alcohol sold in on-trade businesses such as pubs and restaurants. The consultation will also seek views on whether the provision of the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines should be mandatory or continue on a voluntary basis. Respondents to the consultation can also suggest additional labelling requirements for consideration, such as ingredient listing. The Department continues to promote the low risk drinking guidelines through public health messaging, including the ‘Better Health’ campaign and the Drink Free Days app.
The information requested is not collected centrally.
The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines highlight that the risk of developing a range of health problems, including breast cancer, is increased by greater alcohol consumption. We continue to promote these guidelines through public health messaging, including the ‘Better Health’ campaign and the Drink Free Days app.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that National Health Service professionals should routinely carry out alcohol screening as an integral part of practice, particularly focusing on groups which may be at an increased risk of harm from alcohol and those with an alcohol-related condition. Local authorities are responsible for the provision of high-quality services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol-related health harm. These include identification of those at risk, advice and an alcohol risk assessment in the NHS Health Check.
Specialised Paediatric Renal Services, including dialysis, are currently in the remit of the Paediatric Medicine Clinical Reference Group. The Terms of Reference for the review of the reimbursement process for children and young people receiving home haemodialysis in England are expected to be agreed by July 2022.
Timelines for reporting on the review and implementing its recommendations will be established once the Terms of Reference are agreed.
Specialised Paediatric Renal Services, including dialysis, are currently in the remit of the Paediatric Medicine Clinical Reference Group. The Terms of Reference for the review of the reimbursement process for children and young people receiving home haemodialysis in England are expected to be agreed by July 2022.
Timelines for reporting on the review and implementing its recommendations will be established once the Terms of Reference are agreed.
We have no current plans to do so as this is a devolved matter. For adult home dialysis NHS England do not reimburse patients directly. Patients’ additional direct utility costs, which may include electricity, water, gas and telephone, are met through the payment of the national tariff to providers, which provide reimbursement to the individual.
The Department expects providers of home haemodialysis services to inform patients of the National Health Service-funded financial support available to help with increased direct energy costs. For adult home haemodialysis, patients’ additional utility costs are met through the payment of the national tariff to the provider, which reimburses the patient.
NHS England is communicating with all commissioned providers of home dialysis and renal clinical networks to reiterate the existing reimbursement arrangements and ensure that providers alert eligible patients. NHS England will also work with Kidney Care UK and other national charities to promote awareness of reimbursement arrangements.
Children undergoing renal dialysis may qualify for the middle rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Depending on when and where they dialyse, they may be treated as satisfying the disability tests for the day or night. DLA can also enable families to access a range of additional support, such as the blue badge scheme and exemption from the benefits cap.
Paediatric home haemodialysis services are commissioned by NHS England and provided by specialist renal centres. There is currently no national tariff for paediatric home dialysis and as such it is at the discretion of individual providers as to whether additional direct utility costs for patients are reimbursed. The Renal Services Clinical Reference Group has begun a review of the reimbursement process for children receiving home dialysis.
No specific assessment has been made.
Products above 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) are subject to the UK Advertising Codes and the Portman Group Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks. The Portman Group Code is consistent with the UK Advertising Codes and both are in place to ensure that alcohol is marketed in a socially responsible way and that children and young people are suitably protected.
The Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice are consulting on new rules and guidance to regulate alcohol alternative products and provide clarity to advertisers for products of products at and below 0.5% ABV.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
No assessment has been made. The Post Implementation Review into the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 is expected to be published shortly and will set out if the legislation is achieving its aims. We are reviewing the regulatory framework for tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches.
The Government delivers research on motor neurone disease (MND) through the Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Government has committed £50 million for MND research over the next five years through the NIHR and UKRI and to establish the NIHR’s MND Research Unit to coordinate innovative research applications.
The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding. The usual practice of the NIHR and UKRI is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics, such as research on advanced cultures of human cells and tissues. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. We are launching a MND partnership call across Government and charity funders to support collaboration and accelerate the delivery of new treatments.
The NIHR’s funding is focused on translational, clinical and applied health and care research. Research on the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues and organ-on-a-chip technology will therefore not be in the remit of the NIHR’s MND Research Unit. The NIHR has funding streams to support health and care research that involves artificial intelligence.
The Government delivers research on motor neurone disease (MND) through the Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and through the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Government has committed £50 million for MND research over the next five years through the NIHR and UKRI and to establish the NIHR’s MND Research Unit to coordinate innovative research applications.
The NIHR and UKRI rely on researchers submitting high-quality applications to access funding. The usual practice of the NIHR and UKRI is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics, such as research on advanced cultures of human cells and tissues. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. We are launching a MND partnership call across Government and charity funders to support collaboration and accelerate the delivery of new treatments.
The NIHR’s funding is focused on translational, clinical and applied health and care research. Research on the use of advanced cultures of human cells and tissues and organ-on-a-chip technology will therefore not be in the remit of the NIHR’s MND Research Unit. The NIHR has funding streams to support health and care research that involves artificial intelligence.
The Committee on Toxicity of Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is considering tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches and the review is in progress. An initial discussion paper was presented to the Committee in May 2021 and further information was requested. This information is being prepared. It is currently estimated this work will be completed in mid-2022.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) holds the responsibility for delivering Official Controls in abattoirs in England and Wales. Official Controls in Northern Ireland are delivered by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on behalf of the FSA. No equines have been slaughtered in Northern Ireland in 2020. We are unable to provide figures on the slaughter of equines in Scotland as this is a matter for Food Standards Scotland. The number of horses slaughtered in England and Wales in 2020 is 1,314.
The FSA is unable to provide the information requested regarding Weatherbys passport issuing agency as it would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of Weatherbys as a Passport Issuing Organisation.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is a part of the Department on improving the nation’s health and taking action on health disparities. This includes tackling alcohol-related health harms.
Officials within OHID continue to work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on its advertising policy to address concerns over promotions, advertising and marketing relating to alcohol, particularly to ensure that children and young people are suitably protected.
No specific assessment has been made.
There is some evidence that exposure to alcohol marketing can increase the risk that children will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink, that it can increase the risk that they will consume greater quantities of alcohol. This includes any alcohol advertising that children are exposed to on public transport. There is evidence to show exposure to alcohol advertising can induce physiological cravings to drink, but not necessarily relapse, among ex-dependent drinkers. However, this evidence comes from a single study and more research is needed to fully understand the impact.
The Department has not received any representations from the Scottish Government about provisions on the control of advertising of alcohol within the Health and Care Bill. The Bill proposes new restrictions on the advertising of products that are high in fat, salt and sugar, across the United Kingdom. We have discussed these proposals with the Scottish Government prior to introduction and will continue engagement across the entire Health and Care Bill as it progresses through Parliament.
In 2016, Public Health England (PHE) published ‘The public health burden of alcohol: evidence review’ which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-public-health-burden-of-alcohol-evidence-review
This review looked at the impact of alcohol on the public health and the effectiveness of alcohol control policies, including taxation and price regulation. Several factors can influence alcohol’s affordability, such as income, cost-of-living and levels of alcohol duty. When looking at changes in the affordability of alcohol around the time of the duty escalator, the review found that between 2008 and 2012, the affordability of alcohol decreased substantially more than household incomes. This suggests that of all the economic factors that can influence alcohol consumption, the 2% duty escalator could have had a bigger effect than other factors. PHE continues to keep the evidence under review.
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is funding a wide portfolio of research on COVID-19 vaccination but has not commissioned any specific research on the effect of alcohol consumption on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Department has worked with industry to ensure that alcohol labels reflect the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines for drinks produced after 1 September 2019. The Portman Group who are the regulator for alcohol labelling, packaging and promotion in the UK has committed to comply with this requirement. Local trading standards have powers to remove products produced after the 1 September 2019 that contain the old guidelines on the labels.
Any products produced before 1 September 2019 particularly those which may stay on shelf for a number of years, can continue to be sold until stocks are exhausted as is general practice around any new labelling arrangements, because labels were correct at time of production.
The Department has worked with industry to ensure that alcohol labels reflect the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines for drinks produced after 1 September 2019. The Portman Group who are the regulator for alcohol labelling, packaging and promotion in the UK has committed to comply with this requirement. Local trading standards have powers to remove products produced after the 1 September 2019 that contain the old guidelines on the labels.
Any products produced before 1 September 2019 particularly those which may stay on shelf for a number of years, can continue to be sold until stocks are exhausted as is general practice around any new labelling arrangements, because labels were correct at time of production.
The Government is backing efforts to develop a homegrown antibody test. A business consortium, UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC), including Oxford University, Abingdon Health, BBI Solutions and CIGA Healthcare has launched, in order to design and develop a new antibody test to determine whether people have had the virus. The development of this test will not involve testing on animals.
The Government is backing efforts to develop a homegrown antibody test. A business consortium, UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC), including Oxford University, Abingdon Health, BBI Solutions and CIGA Healthcare has launched, in order to design and develop a new antibody test to determine whether people have had the virus. The development of this test will not involve testing on animals.
The Government is backing efforts to develop a homegrown antibody test. A business consortium, UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC), including Oxford University, Abingdon Health, BBI Solutions and CIGA Healthcare has launched, in order to design and develop a new antibody test to determine whether people have had the virus. The development of this test will not involve testing on animals.
Only medicines licensed for use either as recognised treatments for organophosphate poisoning, or ordinarily used for supportive care in normal resuscitative and intensive care practice were used to treat those symptomatic people recognised as having been exposed to Novichok nerve agent.
For all licensed medicines, robust scientific data is required to demonstrate that the products meet acceptable standards of safety, quality and efficacy before they are placed on the market.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is part of the Ministry of Defence. The Dstl is evaluating commercial antibody test kits from around the world, in support of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Evaluation of tests and their contents is ongoing.
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters.
The Manchester Arena Attack was a horrific terrorist attack on UK soil. We must remain committed to fighting terrorism as an important component of keeping the UK safe. We cannot comment further on this for national security reasons.
The Secretary of State for International Trade is responsible for the UK's unilateral preferences scheme, including the design of the new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). Proposals for the DCTS will be published in 2022.
The DCTS will provide improved access to the UK market for developing countries through a set of simpler, more generous trading arrangements than those in the UK Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) whilst ensuring that existing developing country preferences are maintained where significant interests exist.
The Government considers that it is important to remain a Party to the Energy Charter Treaty and support its modernisation, as the Government believes that a renegotiated Energy Charter Treaty will remain valuable in supporting clean energy investment in the future.
The Government welcomes the role of the Energy Charter Treaty in ensuring consistent legal protection for UK investors operating abroad. This allows UK companies, investing in countries that have signed the Treaty, to enjoy more protection for their assets, including those involved in renewable energy production.
The report's environmental content intersects with sensitive national security and operational work so will not be made public.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not grant any funding for the Tatlidil Forum in FY 2019/2020. The FCDO awarded £2,250 in FY 2020/2021, and £11,700 in FY 2021/2022, towards delivery of the 2022 Forum. In the time available we are unable to provide funding information going back to 2011.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not grant any funding for the Tatlidil Forum in FY 2019/2020. The FCDO awarded £2,250 in FY 2020/2021, and £11,700 in FY 2021/2022, towards delivery of the 2022 Forum. In the time available we are unable to provide funding information going back to 2011.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not grant any funding for the Tatlidil Forum in FY 2019/2020. The FCDO awarded £2,250 in FY 2020/2021, and £11,700 in FY 2021/2022, towards delivery of the 2022 Forum. In the time available we are unable to provide funding information going back to 2011.
The hon. Member should visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office where they can find detailed instructions on submitting EIRs and FOIs to the FCDO.
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.
The current UK High Commissioner regularly meets with British businesses in Kenya, individually, in small groups or as part of wider events. There are an estimated 150 British enterprises in Kenya and over 250,000 Kenyans are directly employed by British organisations. She last met representatives from Finlays, Williamson Tea and Unilever (which in Kenya includes PG Tips) in May 2021, during an International Tea Event she hosted at her residence.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, including the former Department for International Development, has not directly provided financial assistance to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
Supporting conservation and tackling the illegal wildlife trade is a priority for the UK government. In Kenya we focus our efforts on where we can have the greatest impact to protect biodiversity and reduce poverty. Through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/illegal-wildlife-trade-challenge-fund-iwtcf) and Darwin Initiative (https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/project/location/country/kenya/) we have provided over £6.1 million to support 23 projects in Kenya since 2016. Projects include those which train rangers, border force agents and prosecutors; support legislative reform to increase conviction rates and penalties for wildlife crimes; and help communities develop sustainable livelihoods and address human/wildlife conflict.
The Duke of Cambridge has made no official visits to Lewa Conservancy. We do not comment on non-official travel.
The UK does not disclose the security arrangements for VIP travel.
The Foreign Secretary has not discussed the visit with the UK Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia met the Commander of King Fahd Air Base and other Saudi and UK representatives. For operational and personal security reasons, we cannot disclose the number of UK nationals.
The UK does not disclose the security arrangements for VIP travel.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given in PQ 136677 by the Minister for Crime and Policing on 18 March 2022. Operation Pelican was led by the Metropolitan Police. No Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials were directly assigned to work on Operation Pelican. During this time, officials in the FCDO continued to manage the diplomatic relationship between the UK and Ecuador.
The Atlantic Council is a Washington-based US think tank that works to enhance NATO public diplomacy in the US. The British Embassy in Washington supported four projects with the Atlantic Council over the past three years. These informed the trans-Atlantic debate on Global Value Chains and promoted understanding of the UK's Integrated Review, Global Britain, climate action and COP26. The cost in Financial Year 2019/20 was £24,542.87. and in 20/21 £64,010.58.
We are looking into recent reports of impact of airstrikes on civilians in Yemen. We urge all parties to the Yemen conflict to exercise restraint and avoid further civilian impact and suffering. The UK raises regularly the importance of protecting civilians with the Saudi-led Coalition.
The decision to withdraw some Embassy staff and their dependants was temporary and it will be kept under close review. The Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work, including providing consular assistance and support to British nationals in Ukraine.
We are looking into recent reports of impact of airstrikes on civilians in Yemen. We urge all parties to the Yemen conflict to exercise restraint and avoid further civilian impact and suffering. The Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. The Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.
The United Kingdom's diplomatic and trade network overseas promotes the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.
We do not hold a central log of all such events hosted across the world. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many UK missions overseas promoted Burns Night and Scotland virtually through social media.
In 2022, like every year, our diplomatic network will be encouraged to use Burns Night and St Andrew's Day to promote Scottish culture, tourism, produce and trade and investment.
In addition to Burns Night and St Andrew's Day events, our overseas network continuously looks to promote Scotland and Scottish interests overseas throughout the year. In October, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Offord used their visit to India, the UK's second biggest investor, to promote Scottish engineering, business and exports, including whisky. UK missions overseas also used Glasgow's hosting of COP26 to increase Scotland's international profile.
The United Kingdom's diplomatic and trade network overseas promotes the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.
We do not hold a central log of all such events hosted across the world. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many UK missions overseas promoted Burns Night and Scotland virtually through social media.
In 2022, like every year, our diplomatic network will be encouraged to use Burns Night and St Andrew's Day to promote Scottish culture, tourism, produce and trade and investment.
In addition to Burns Night and St Andrew's Day events, our overseas network continuously looks to promote Scotland and Scottish interests overseas throughout the year. In October, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Offord used their visit to India, the UK's second biggest investor, to promote Scottish engineering, business and exports, including whisky. UK missions overseas also used Glasgow's hosting of COP26 to increase Scotland's international profile.
The United Kingdom's diplomatic and trade network overseas promotes the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.
We do not hold a central log of all such events hosted across the world. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many UK missions overseas promoted Burns Night and Scotland virtually through social media.
In 2022, like every year, our diplomatic network will be encouraged to use Burns Night and St Andrew's Day to promote Scottish culture, tourism, produce and trade and investment.
In addition to Burns Night and St Andrew's Day events, our overseas network continuously looks to promote Scotland and Scottish interests overseas throughout the year. In October, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Offord used their visit to India, the UK's second biggest investor, to promote Scottish engineering, business and exports, including whisky. UK missions overseas also used Glasgow's hosting of COP26 to increase Scotland's international profile.
UK funding for Somaliland's Police Rapid Reaction Unit ended in March 2020. Our efforts to improve Somaliland's security sector now focus on support for the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the Somaliland Police (through the Counter Terrorism Programme Fund). With UK support, the CTU has successfully established and staffed a state-of-the-art investigation and detentions facility. The CTU has also achieved significant operational successes, including the prosecution of a large number of high-interest terrorism cases.
Tackling Al Shabaab is one of the UK's top international counter-terrorism priorities, as we seek to keep the UK and our interests at home and overseas safe from the threat of terrorism.
The long-standing friendship between the UK and Qatar is more important than ever. We look forward to our continued collaboration to strengthen our shared security interests for both regional and global stability. Our position on Hamas is clear and public; we condemn Hamas' continued attacks against civilians which are unacceptable and unjustifiable. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. We call on those in the region with influence over Hamas to encourage them to take these steps.
As I [Minister Cleverly] stated in my answer of 8 November to your question 68471, the UK is working with the Somali Police to improve their capability and capacity for investigating and stopping terrorist threats, in line with international human rights standards. Our support builds on the Somali Police Force's capability to combat the threat from Al Shabaab and strengthens compliance with international human rights standards.
Tackling Al Shabaab is one of the UK's top international counter-terrorism priorities, as we seek to keep the UK and our interests at home and overseas safe from the threat of terrorism. The group is also the largest obstacle to stability and reconstruction in Somalia. Our work with the Somali Police's Goodir Unit complements other counter-terrorism work the UK conducts to counter Al Shabaab and contributes to our work supporting a more stable and secure Somalia. All monitoring and evaluation is completed in line with Conflict, Security and Stabilisation Fund program requirements, which include consideration of value for money.
The UK is working with the Somali Police to improve their capability and capacity for investigating and stopping terrorist threats, in line with international human rights standards. Our support builds on the Somali Police Force's capability to combat the threat from Al Shabaab and strengthens compliance with international human rights standards. It complements other counter-terrorism work the UK conducts in the region in line with the UK's international counter-terrorism priorities.
The UK is working with the Somali Police to improve their capability and capacity for investigating and stopping terrorist threats, in line with international human rights standards. Our support builds on the Somali Police Force's capability to combat the threat from Al Shabaab and strengthens compliance with international human rights standards. It complements other counter-terrorism work the UK conducts in the region in line with the UK's international counter-terrorism priorities.
The UK is working with the Somali Police to improve their capability and capacity for investigating and stopping terrorist threats, in line with international human rights standards. Our support builds on the Somali Police Force's capability to combat the threat from Al Shabaab and strengthens compliance with international human rights standards. It compliments other counter-terrorism work the UK conducts in the region in line with the UK's international counter-terrorism priorities.
The British High Commission in Colombo formally notified Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police that Police Scotland had decided to pause its programme of work with Sri Lanka on 2 July 2021. The training has focused on developing community policing, supporting women in the Sri Lankan police service, and improving the response to sexual and gender-based violence. Our police training is currently undergoing a review. Police Scotland officers have not travelled to Sri Lanka since the start of the coronavirus pandemic for public health reasons.
The FCDO's International Programme (IP), and within it the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF), is a vital tool in promoting positive change and reforms across the world, including in the Gulf. Our programmes help our partners to continue their human rights reform, address key climate change and green growth opportunities and challenges, tackle illicit finance, improve marine conservation, promote economic diversification, promote diversity and inclusion including on LGBTQ+ rights, and develop their institutions.
All cooperation through the IP, including the GSF, is subject to rigorous risk assessments to ensure all work meets our human rights obligations and our values. The Government does not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns, and encourage other states to respect international law.
We now publish an annual summary of the GSF's work on gov.uk. We will not publish further information where doing so presents risks to our staff, programme suppliers and beneficiaries, or which may impact our relationships with our international partners, and therefore our ability to influence their reform efforts.
We will provide updates on an annual basis.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has no plans to publish this correspondence. The UK's police training programme has focused on developing community policing, supporting women in the Sri Lankan police service, and improving the response to sexual and gender-based violence. All UK assistance is subject to robust Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments that analyse the potential human rights, international humanitarian law, political and reputational risks of any proposed assistance to ensure that it supports our values and is consistent with our domestic and international human rights obligations. Our police training is currently undergoing a review. Police Scotland officers have not travelled to Sri Lanka since the start of the coronavirus pandemic for public health reasons. More information on our programme work can be found online.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has no plans to publish this correspondence. The UK's police training programme has focused on developing community policing, supporting women in the Sri Lankan police service, and improving the response to sexual and gender-based violence. All UK assistance is subject to robust Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments that analyse the potential human rights, international humanitarian law, political and reputational risks of any proposed assistance to ensure that it supports our values and is consistent with our domestic and international human rights obligations. Our police training is currently undergoing a review. Police Scotland officers have not travelled to Sri Lanka since the start of the coronavirus pandemic for public health reasons. More information on our programme work can be found online.
The UK is committed to long-term peace and security in Mali and the wider region, including through training of Mali's security and defence forces. Our training is focussed on gender sensitisation, compliance of international humanitarian law, and protection of civilians. We also support the reduction in threats from serious and organised crime and corruption, including through capacity building of security forces. Following the military coups in August 2020 and May 2021 we temporarily suspended training of the security forces. We do not have easy access to figures from 2013. We did not have a UK diplomatic presence in Mali until 2015, with our conflict, stability and security programming starting shortly after. Since Financial Year 2018/19 we have trained around 150 security personnel at a cost of circa £850k.
Those sanctioned by the UK held formal roles within the Saudi government. Several had roles that entailed international engagement and they met a range of international interlocutors prior to October 2018.
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters.
The UK condemns all alleged human rights violations in Yemen and urges the parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and uphold their responsibilities under relevant international law.
We regularly raise the importance of complying with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the Coalition, including requesting investigations into alleged incidents of concern. The Foreign Secretary raised IHL with Saudi National Security Advisor al-Aiban during his visit to Saudi Arabia on 7 June.
The UK Government did not provide training to the group known as the Rapid Intervention Force between 2013 and 2017.
In the 2020/21 financial year, the Gulf Strategy Fund worked with TetraTech International, HMRC, Plexal, CyLon and Imperial College London to support economic reform programmes in Oman.
We have not made a recent assessment of this. All relevant considerations were taken into account when deciding to establish joint squadrons with Qatar. The long-standing friendship between the UK and Qatar is more important than ever. With shared defence and security interests, it is vital we work together for both regional and global stability.
We have not made a recent assessment of this. All relevant considerations were taken into account when deciding to establish joint squadrons with Qatar. The long-standing friendship between the UK and Qatar is more important than ever. With shared defence and security interests, it is vital we work together for both regional and global stability.
The UK works closely with Oman on economic reform in support of Oman's Vision 2040. Through the Gulf Strategy Fund we are sharing UK expertise and best practice in a number of areas including economic diversification.
We have no record of the Foreign Secretary visiting this property.
Richard Moore, then FCO Political Director, attended.
The Gulf Strategy Fund was used to deliver a Public Order and Public Safety Training project in Oman from December 2020 to March 2021.
The UK's current police training in Sri Lanka has focused on prevention and investigation of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, and promoting gender equality and women's representation in the Sri Lankan police service. Due to Covid-19, many of the training activities have been paused, with the exception of work at the local level to respond to, and support, victims of sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence.
All police training is subject to robust Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments that analyse the potential human rights, international humanitarian law, political and reputational risks of any proposed assistance, to ensure that it supports our values and is consistent with our domestic and international human rights obligations. Any future training will be subject to OSJA review.
All UK police assistance in Sri Lanka is subject to robust Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments that analyse the potential human rights, international humanitarian law, political and reputational risks of any proposed assistance to ensure that it supports our values and is consistent with our domestic and international human rights obligations.
The UK's current police training in Sri Lanka is focused on prevention and investigation of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, and promoting gender equality and women's representation in the Sri Lankan police service. Due to Covid-19, many of the training activities have been paused, with the exception of work at the local level to support victims of sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence.
As per FCDO Senior Officials' Guidance, we do not disclose hospitality from other Governments whether in or outside the UK.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office are currently operating on legacy systems, which captures staff data using different criteria. Therefore this information is not held centrally for all staff.
Tackling the humanitarian impact of the Syria Crisis remains a priority for the FCDO. The UK is one of the largest donors to the Syrian humanitarian response having committed over £3.3 billion since 2012 and the UK is also one of the leading donors on education in North West Syria. The FCDO is in the process of assessing the impact of the ODA budget reduction on the UK's aid expenditure in Syria
To date, the UK's Syria Education Programme is the UK's largest bilateral education programme and has supported over 401,235 (49.6% female) children in the North West. This programme has improved access to the teaching profession, supported schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, financially supported stipends for thousands of teachers and most importantly, supported children's access to high quality education and psycho social care.
The regime's brutal targeting of schools is appalling. Many children have had their most formative years shaped by a backdrop of conflict. The Foreign Secretary has called for a nationwide ceasefire as part of a political process, as the only way to end the Syrian conflict and we continue to call on all parties to maintain the agreed ceasefires.
Tackling the humanitarian impact of the Syria Crisis remains a priority for the FCDO. The UK is one of the largest donors to the Syrian humanitarian response having committed over £3.3 billion since 2012 and the UK is also one of the leading donors on education in North West Syria. The FCDO is in the process of assessing the impact of the ODA budget reduction on the UK's aid expenditure in Syria
To date, the UK's Syria Education Programme is the UK's largest bilateral education programme and has supported over 401,235 (49.6% female) children in the North West. This programme has improved access to the teaching profession, supported schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, financially supported stipends for thousands of teachers and most importantly, supported children's access to high quality education and psycho social care.
The regime's brutal targeting of schools is appalling. Many children have had their most formative years shaped by a backdrop of conflict. The Foreign Secretary has called for a nationwide ceasefire as part of a political process, as the only way to end the Syrian conflict and we continue to call on all parties to maintain the agreed ceasefires.
The creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has brought together our diplomatic, developmental, and programmatic levers to maximise our international influence and to ensure more secure and prosperous lives for people in the UK and overseas. Serious and organised crime is often transnational and requires cross-government responses which tackle underlying causes as well as direct threats to the UK and our interests.
The FCDO is committed to continuing to deliver this Government's international serious and organised crime objectives, including those relating to illicit drugs. Our teams continue to work closely with the Home Office and other partners in Government which are collectively responsible for delivering these strategies.
Tackling the humanitarian impact of the Syria Crisis remains a priority for the FCDO. In his statement to the House of Commons on 26 November, the Foreign Secretary stated that resolving conflicts and alleviating humanitarian crises will be a focus area for ODA. To deliver on this commitment the FCDO is currently running a prioritisation exercise across all its programmes, to ensure that every pound we spend goes as far as possible and makes a world-leading difference. We are in the process of assessing the impact of this decision on the UK's aid expenditure in Syria.
The UK has been one of the largest donors to the humanitarian response to the Syria Crisis. Since 2012, we have committed over £3.3 billion to help Syrian civilians displaced and vulnerable within their country, and Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries. This includes a pledge of at least £300 million for 2020 at this year's Brussels conference.
Whilst we are at the forefront of the humanitarian response in Syria, we are appalled that Russia has twice sought to block cross-border aid access into Syria, placing political support for the Assad regime above lifesaving support for the Syrian people. We continue to use our position at the UN Security Council to push for greater aid access into Syria and we remain committed to supporting aid delivery, through all mechanisms, to those in need.
The Foreign Secretary has been in close contact with the Chinese Foreign Minister to ensure the UK and China were working together as part of the international response to the virus. The UK has engaged with China to procure life-saving PPE, ventilators and other critical medical equipment, and to support and repatriate British nationals.
We are monitoring the cases of Loujain al-Hathloul, Samar Badawi, Nassima al-Sada, and all women's rights defenders. The UK attends trials of international importance in all countries where permitted. The UK, along with other embassies in Saudi Arabia, consistently attempt to attend the trials of Women's Rights Defenders, and have been denied access since October 2018, with the exception of the trials for those involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
We remain concerned about the continued detention of women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about the ongoing detention of political detainees, including women's rights defenders, with Saudi Ministers during his visit to Riyadh in March. We regularly raise areas of concern with the Saudi authorities at all levels, through Ministers, our Ambassador and our Embassy in Riyadh. We consistently underline the importance of political freedoms globally. This includes respect for the right to peaceful protest, the rule of law, and freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. We continue to raise concerns about individual cases regularly and monitor the situation closely.
As this is an ongoing Police Scotland investigation it would not be appropriate to comment.
As this is an ongoing Police Scotland investigation it would not be appropriate to comment.
As this is an ongoing Police Scotland investigation it would not be appropriate to comment further.
The UK is proud to be a member of the new Alliance, and joining reflects our ongoing commitment to working with other countries on Freedom of Religion or Belief. As a founding member of the Alliance, the UK will be able to shape its work in line with our Freedom of Religion or Belief for all policy, in which we defend the rights of members of all faiths, beliefs, and people of no belief. We will use our membership of the Alliance to enhance joined up working with like-minded countries, as well as to highlight the importance of considering the intersectionality of human rights. Our membership of the Alliance will not prevent the UK from continuing to raise specific concerns bilaterally with other states, including concerns about discrimination on the grounds of gender identity or sexual orientation.
As this is an ongoing Police Scotland investigation it is not appropriate to comment substantively.
The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon have been in contact with their Australian counterparts to offer our condolences and stress our readiness to help in whatever way they need.
As I set out in my Oral Statement of 9 January in the House of Commons, we have deployed a team of UK experts to Australia.
The team includes a senior member of UK Fire and Rescue Service, a medical specialist in trauma and mental health, and a military liaison officer specialising in crisis response.
They will work with Australian counterparts to establish what further UK support will be of most use to Australian emergency responders, and ensure that such contributions are fully integrated with Australian efforts.
The Government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens. AMAP rates aim to reflect running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Depreciation is estimated to constitute the most significant proportion of the AMAP rate.
Employers are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising.
Alternatively, they can choose to pay a different mileage rate that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. However, if the payment exceeds the amount due under AMAPs, and this results in a profit for the individual, they will be liable to pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on the difference.
The Government keeps this policy under review.
As set out in the answers to PQ UIN 125532 and PQ UIN 129256, high energy prices reduce VAT revenues.
In recognition that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their energy needs, domestic fuels such as heating oil, gas and electricity are subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on domestic fuels where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that on average have a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.
As set out in the answers to PQ UIN 125532 and PQ UIN 129256, high energy prices reduce VAT revenues.
In recognition that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their energy needs, domestic fuels such as heating oil, gas and electricity are subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on domestic fuels where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that on average have a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.
As set out in the answer to PQ UIN 125532, high energy prices reduce VAT revenues.
In recognition that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on energy where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that on average have a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.
High energy prices reduce VAT revenues. In recognition that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on energy where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that have on average a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.
The Government is providing significant financial support – up to £350 – to the majority of households, which will cover more than half of the forecast £700 rise in energy bills for the average household. This support is worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23.
High energy prices reduce VAT revenues. In recognition that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on energy where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that on average have a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.
High energy prices reduce VAT revenues. In recognition that families should not have to bear all the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas and electricity are already subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent of VAT. If people spend more on energy where VAT is 5 per cent, they spend less on goods and services that on average have a much higher VAT rate, thereby reducing VAT revenue overall.
Employees who are eligible for tax relief for working from home can claim relief on the actual amount of additional household costs or on the flat rate allowance.
Eligible employees can claim tax relief on the allowance of £6 per week without the need to provide evidence of expenditure. The amount was increased from £4 per week in April 2020.
As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will keep tax reliefs under review. Any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.
Employees who are eligible for tax relief for working from home can claim relief on the actual amount of additional household costs or on the flat rate allowance.
Eligible employees can claim tax relief on the allowance of £6 per week without the need to provide evidence of expenditure. The amount was increased from £4 per week in April 2020.
As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will keep tax reliefs under review. Any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.
Tonnage tax is an alternative method of calculating Corporation Tax profits by reference to the net tonnage of the ship operated. It is a reserved tax and applies UK wide.
The Consolidated Fund receives the proceeds of tonnage tax and other tax revenues, such as those collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Tonnage tax is not a hypothecated tax.
When funding is allocated to UK Government departments from the Consolidated Fund the Barnett formula is applied. The Barnett formula provides the devolved administrations with a population share of changes in the UK’s available resources consistent with the principles set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
The Government is unaware of any representations from the Scottish Government on the rate of inheritance tax in the UK.
Appointments to the Monetary Policy Committee are made on merit following fair and open competition. Appointments have come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds to ensure the committee benefits from a wide range of expertise.
Appointments to the Monetary Policy Committee are made on merit following fair and open competition. In the last 5 years appointments have come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds to ensure the committee benefits from a wide range of expertise.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) International Programme (IP), and within it the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF), is a vital tool in promoting positive change and reforms across the world, including in the Gulf. The Government’s programmes help its partners to continue their human rights reform, address key climate change and green growth opportunities and challenges, tackle illicit finance, improve marine conservation, promote economic diversification, promote diversity and inclusion including on LGBTQ+ rights, and develop their institutions.
All cooperation through the IP, including the GSF, is subject to rigorous risk assessments to ensure all work meets the Government’s human rights obligations and values. The Government does not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns, and encourages other states to respect international law.
The Government now publish an annual summary of the GSF’s work on gov.uk. The Government will not publish further information where doing so presents risks to its staff, programme suppliers and beneficiaries, or which may impact its relationships with international partners, and therefore its ability to influence their reform efforts.
The Government will provide updates on an annual basis.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) International Programme (IP), and within it the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF), is a vital tool in promoting positive change and reforms across the world, including in the Gulf. The Government’s programmes help its partners to continue their human rights reform, address key climate change and green growth opportunities and challenges, tackle illicit finance, improve marine conservation, promote economic diversification, promote diversity and inclusion including on LGBTQ+ rights, and develop their institutions.
All cooperation through the IP, including the GSF, is subject to rigorous risk assessments to ensure all work meets the Government’s human rights obligations and values. The Government does not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns, and encourages other states to respect international law.
The Government now publish an annual summary of the GSF’s work on gov.uk. The Government will not publish further information where doing so presents risks to its staff, programme suppliers and beneficiaries, or which may impact its relationships with international partners, and therefore its ability to influence their reform efforts.
The Government will provide updates on an annual basis.
The UK Government has frequent discussions and correspondence with the Scottish Government on a variety of issues. The UK Government does not publish details of all of these discussions.
However, as set out in my previous answer, the UK Government agreed significant new borrowing powers for the Scottish Government in 2016.
The fiscal framework we have agreed with the Scottish Government already includes significant borrowing powers.
The Scottish Government can borrow up to £450m per year for capital spending and, in normal times, borrow up to £300m per year to help manage day-to-day spending in relation to tax and welfare forecast error.
However, under the terms of the fiscal framework, we are doubling this day-to-day borrowing from £300m to £600m per year in 2021-22 and the following two years.
This is on top of the share of UK Government borrowing the Scottish Government receives through the Barnett formula. Since the start of the pandemic the Scottish Government has received an additional £14.5bn of Barnett funding.
Protecting against alcohol-related harms remains a key objective of the alcohol duty system. However, it is not the sole consideration and any duty changes must be assessed within the wider economic and business context.
The Treasury is considering the merits of various taxation methods as part of its alcohol duty review. We remain in the early stages of analysis and further updates will be provided in due course.
The Treasury is considering the merits of various taxation methods as part of its alcohol duty review. We are currently in the early stages of analysis and will provide further updates in due course.
The Treasury is considering the merits of various taxation methods as part of its alcohol duty review. We are currently in the early stages of analysis and will provide further updates in due course.
HM Treasury does not have a policy that pertains to increasing the birth rate in any part of the UK.
There is a range of support available for those who have children including Child Benefit, which can be claimed for any number of children. The UK has the longest maternity leave available among all the OECD countries and where pay is enhanced as part of the statutory maternity pay entitlement, the rate of pay provided is higher than the international standard. Alongside this, the government provides 15 hours of free childcare for all 3-4 year olds, alongside a further 15 hours free for eligible working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, and 15 hours free for disadvantaged 2 year olds.
HM Treasury does not have a policy that pertains to increasing the birth rate in any part of the UK.
There is a range of support available for those who have children including Child Benefit, which can be claimed for any number of children. The UK has the longest maternity leave available among all the OECD countries and where pay is enhanced as part of the statutory maternity pay entitlement, the rate of pay provided is higher than the international standard. Alongside this, the government provides 15 hours of free childcare for all 3-4 year olds, alongside a further 15 hours free for eligible working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, and 15 hours free for disadvantaged 2 year olds.
Business support is a devolved policy and therefore is the responsibility of the devolved administrations. The UK Government has announced £7.4 billion of additional funding to the devolved administrations to respond to COVID-19 and to support people, businesses and public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This means £3.8 billion for the Scottish Government, £2.3 billion for the Welsh Government and £1.3 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive to respond to COVID-19. With regards to the application of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and business rates relief in England, the Government recognises that this is a very challenging time for businesses in a wide variety of sectors. Small businesses occupying properties for retail, hospitality or leisure purposes are likely to be particularly affected by COVID-19 due to their reliance on customer footfall, and the fact that they are less likely than larger businesses to have sufficient cash reserves to meet their high fixed property-related costs. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) is intended to help small businesses in this situation.
Local Authorities (LAs) in England can choose to make discretionary grants to businesses in supply chains, like the wholesale food and drink sector, if they feel there is a particular local economic need. The Government has allocated up to an additional £617 million to LAs to enable them to give discretionary grants. While food and drink wholesalers are not one of the priority groups which Government has asked LAs to focus on, LAs may choose to make payments to businesses outside of these priority groups if they feel there is a local economic need to do so, so long as the business was trading on 11th March, and has not received any other cash grant funded by central Government (with the exception of grants from the SEISS).
Small businesses which are not eligible for business grants should still be able to benefit from other elements of the Government’s unprecedented package of support. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is a temporary scheme in place for eight months starting from 1 March and ending at the end of October.
It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these firms appropriately. It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus. The Government will continue to engage with businesses and representative groups with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a whole.
As announced at Budget 2018 and following the recommendation of the APPG on Illicit Trade, the Government has now established a UK-wide Anti-Illicit Trade Group.
The Group met for the first time in September and brought together officials from several departments and enforcement agencies. The aim of the Group continues to be to share best practice and develop a national strategy for tackling the illicit trade. The next meeting of the Group will take place in Spring 2020.
Due to the way HMRC records and retains information it is not possible to provide a complete response to the question. HMRC regularly reports its performance against the strategy to tackle illicit tobacco and the latest published data can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-tobacco-smuggling-2013-to-2014-outputs/outputs-for-april-2016-to-march-2018. HMRC do not hold the requested information relating to court orders but the Ministry of Justice may be able to provide this data.
In line with long-standing Home Office policy, it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.
The first volume of the Chair’s findings of the Manchester Arena Inquiry was published in June 2021, with volumes 2 and 3 scheduled for publication later in 2022. Further information can be found on the Inquiry’s website: manchesterarenainquiry.org.uk
There are a wide range of reasons that police may stop individuals travelling through ports. Under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000, Counter-Terrorism Police officers can stop and examine members of the public travelling through ports to determine their involvement in terrorist activity. The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases, and decisions on who to examine under Schedule 7 are made independently of government by the police.
I would refer the Honourable Member to the first volume of the Chair’s findings of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, which was published in June 2021. Volumes 2 and 3 of the findings are scheduled for publication later in 2022, and further information can be found on the Inquiry’s website: manchesterarenainquiry.org.uk
A summary of the relevant report was provided to the Manchester Arena Inquiry. This followed a thorough process overseen by the Inquiry Chair and his legal team as to what content could be disclosed without damaging national security.
Regrettably disclosing the report would cause damage to national security.
The Government’s priority is the safety and security of the UK and the people who live here.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advise against all travel to Libya. This advice has been in place consistently since 2014. During the 2011 conflict, FCDO clearly advised against all travel to Libya, however, in light of the improving security situation between September 2011 and 2014, the FCDO downgraded advice in some areas, including Tripoli and Benghazi, to advise against all but essential travel. A range of tools are available to disrupt those who wish to engage in criminal activity abroad. Since 2013, royal prerogative powers can be exercised against British passport holders to refuse to issue or cancel a British passport on public interest grounds.
To counter the threat we face from people travelling for terrorism-related purposes, schedule 1 to the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 enables police officers at ports to seize and temporarily retain travel documents to disrupt immediate travel, when they reasonably suspect that a person intends to travel to engage in terrorism related activity outside of the UK.
Depending on the nature of activity and the circumstances in which it was carried out, travel to engage in overseas conflict could potentially give rise to offences under UK law, including terrorism offences, and war crimes. Where individuals do return, they should expect to be investigated and, where there is evidence that crimes have been committed, they should expect to face prosecution. Any decision to prosecute will be a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) - both the police and CPS are operationally independent of Government.
The Manchester Arena Inquiry is a statutory independent Inquiry and decisions as to how to deliver its terms of reference are a matter for the Chair.
The Inquiry heard evidence on what steps had been taken to ensure Ismail Abedi appeared at the Inquiry on 21 October. The transcript for the hearing is published in full: https://files.manchesterarenainquiry.org.uk/live/uploads/2021/10/21201337/MAI-Day-165_Redacted.pdf
Greater Manchester Police provided evidence to the Inquiry on Ismail Abedi’s departure from the UK which is published on the Manchester Arena Inquiry website: https://files.manchesterarenainquiry.org.uk/live/uploads/2021/12/21144111/INQ042319.pdf
It has been the policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny matters relating to the activities of the security and intelligence services.
The National Risk Assessment (NRA) of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing is the UK’s stock-take of our collective knowledge of money laundering and terrorist financing risks in the UK.
The NRA is jointly produced by the Home Office and HM Treasury and draws on evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies, government departments, supervisors, firms and non-governmental organisations.
The latest NRA (published in 2020 and found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-risk-assessment-of-money-laundering-and-terrorist-financing-2020) assesses the use of Scottish Limited Partnerships in criminal enterprise.
The National Risk Assessment (NRA) of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing is the UK’s stock-take of our collective knowledge of money laundering and terrorist financing risks in the UK.
The NRA is jointly produced by the Home Office and HM Treasury and draws on evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies, government departments, supervisors, firms and non-governmental organisations.
The latest NRA (published in 2020 and found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-risk-assessment-of-money-laundering-and-terrorist-financing-2020) assesses the use of Scottish Limited Partnerships in criminal enterprise.