Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulations in relation to unlicensed animal rescue centres; and whether he plans to consult on new licensing of registration requirements.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department continues to engage regularly with stakeholders across the animal welfare sector, including on issues relating to rescue and rehoming practices.
This Government will introduce the most ambitious plan to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes has developed voluntary guidance on minimum standards, but significant variation does exist. Local authorities and the police have the same powers of entry for these premises as would apply to any welfare concerns under the Animal Welfare Act.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish the findings of stakeholder engagement carried out by his Department on the potential licensing of animal rescue centres in 2023.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department continues to engage regularly with stakeholders across the animal welfare sector, including on issues relating to rescue and rehoming practices.
This Government will introduce the most ambitious plan to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes has developed voluntary guidance on minimum standards, but significant variation does exist. Local authorities and the police have the same powers of entry for these premises as would apply to any welfare concerns under the Animal Welfare Act.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introducing licensing for (a) animal sanctuaries and (b) rescue and rehoming centres for (i) cats, (ii) dogs, (iii) horses and (iv) other animals.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department continues to engage regularly with stakeholders across the animal welfare sector, including on issues relating to rescue and rehoming practices.
This Government will introduce the most ambitious plan to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes has developed voluntary guidance on minimum standards, but significant variation does exist. Local authorities and the police have the same powers of entry for these premises as would apply to any welfare concerns under the Animal Welfare Act.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on interpreting the business tests under Part 1 of the Schedule of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 in cases in which animal rescue charities charge (a) standardised rehoming fees and (b) receive regular donations linked to adoptions.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 cover five licensable activities: selling animals as pets; providing or arranging boarding for cats or dogs; hiring out horses; breeding dogs; and keeping or training animals for exhibition.
Defra issues supporting statutory guidance, which furnishes practical detail on how the regulations should be applied, including in relation to the business test. Local authorities must have regard to this statutory guidance.
Defra regularly engages with a range of stakeholders across the animal welfare and charity sectors, including regulatory agencies. We continue to explore opportunities to improve coordination and information sharing where appropriate.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the Charity Commission on improving (a) information sharing and (b) oversight of animal rescue organisations operating at scale but outside existing statutory licensing frameworks.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 cover five licensable activities: selling animals as pets; providing or arranging boarding for cats or dogs; hiring out horses; breeding dogs; and keeping or training animals for exhibition.
Defra issues supporting statutory guidance, which furnishes practical detail on how the regulations should be applied, including in relation to the business test. Local authorities must have regard to this statutory guidance.
Defra regularly engages with a range of stakeholders across the animal welfare and charity sectors, including regulatory agencies. We continue to explore opportunities to improve coordination and information sharing where appropriate.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47348 on Conditions of Employment, what comparative estimate he has made of the workload of the (a) Fair Work Agency and (b) existing bodies being merged into Fair Work Agency.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Fair Work Agency will take over responsibility for the labour market enforcement currently undertaken by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage team. It will also, in time, take on enforcing additional rights such as holiday pay and sick pay. The specific legislation the Fair Work Agency will enforce is set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill.
More detail will be provided around the details of how the Fair Work Agency will operate including workload and funding in due course.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many complaints the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards has received in the period since his remit was amended to allow him to initiate investigations unilaterally.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The 2024-2025 Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards Annual Report covers the exercise of the Independent Adviser’s functions for the year. This was published on 29 May 2025, and is available here.