Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what changes to the rabies regime he plans for domestic pets crossing the UK's borders in the event that the UK leaves the EU.

The Government has no immediate plans to change the rabies regime in the short term following the UK’s departure from the EU. For entry into the UK the current pet travel health requirements will continue to apply, although additional controls could be considered at a later date

The UK harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PTS) rules in 2012. In 2011 we made an assessment of the risk of rabies introduction to the UK. This assessment concluded that the risk of an animal with rabies entering the UK under the PTS was very low. Since then, there have been no cases of rabies in pets entering the UK under the PTS. However, the Government continues to monitor the disease situation and will undertake a further formal risk assessment if evidence indicates that one is warranted.

When the UK leaves the EU it will be a third country. This means pet animals entering the EU from the UK would need to continue to follow the rules of the PTS. On 24 September this year a Technical Notice ‘Taking your pet abroad if there’s no Brexit deal’ was issued. On 6 November the Government issued follow up guidance and advice on Pet travel to Europe after Brexit in the unlikely event that the UK becomes an unlisted third country.