Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing a bespoke mechanism to facilitate the timely passage of guide dog puppies from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with an agreed derogation from the Northern Ireland Protocol.

I refer the hon. Member to the response by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the urgent question on 2 February 2021, and the letter by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the European Commission Vice-President. Further steps are necessary to address regulatory barriers and provide time for a light-touch long-term approach to be codified.

The Government is engaging with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to explore means to streamline pet travel between the UK and Ireland, recognising the high standards of animal health that the UK and Ireland share.

In the meantime, DAERA have confirmed that there will be no routine compliance checks on pets/assistance dogs entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain until 1 July 2021. NI-based pets/assistance dogs returning to Northern Ireland from Great Britain can continue to use an NI-issued EU Pet Passport to re-enter Northern Ireland, and will not need an animal health certificate. Further guidance is set out here: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/travelling-pets