Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many disqualification orders preventing the ownership or keeping of animals were made by the courts under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in each of the last three years.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This data is not held centrally by Defra. Data on disqualification orders under the Animal Welfare Act is held by HM Courts and Tribunals Service and is available to relevant enforcement agencies through the Police National Database.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department takes to monitor and enforce compliance with disqualification orders for animal ownership.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under section 34(9) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is a criminal offence to breach a disqualification order. The police and local authority inspectors have powers to investigate offences and take enforcement action where such orders are breached, and local authorities may bring prosecutions.
In practice, monitoring and enforcement activity is informed by a combination of intelligence and risk led approaches to assess compliance with animal welfare legislation.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the High Court's ruling on the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra cannot comment regarding an ongoing legal case.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to introduce mandatory labelling of precision-bred (gene-edited) foods.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra cannot comment regarding an ongoing legal case.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a public register of individuals convicted of animal cruelty offences.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has no plans to introduce a publicly assessable animal cruelty register.
All prosecutions for animal cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are currently stored on the Police National Computer. This information may be shared with appropriate organisations under Police Common Law. In cases of concern, the information may be shared with the public at the Police’s discretion when requested.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how rescue centres, breeders and veterinary practices can verify whether a prospective owner is subject to a disqualification order.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has no plans to introduce a publicly assessable animal cruelty register.
All prosecutions for animal cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are currently stored on the Police National Computer. This information may be shared with appropriate organisations under Police Common Law. In cases of concern, the information may be shared with the public at the Police’s discretion when requested.
Asked by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure full traceability of precision-bred organisms across the food and farming supply chain.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra cannot comment regarding an ongoing legal case.