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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the changes in quarantine due to be implemented in December 2014 will help prevent commercial dealers fraudulently using the Pet Travel Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the steps being taken to improve enforcement in this area.

A new EU pet travel Regulation comes into effect on 29 December 2014 and introduces a number of measures which will strengthen enforcement regimes, in particular. For example, pets being prepared for travel after the 29 December 2014 will be issued with a new style pet passport that will be harder to forge or tamper with. New rules governing the movement of more than five pets will be introduced together with a new requirement for all EU countries to carry out some compliance checks on pets moving between EU member states. A 12 week minimum age for rabies vaccination will also be applied across the EU which will assist compliance checking and restrict the movement of very young animals. The fundamental requirements of the scheme (including microchip, rabies vaccination, pet passport and a waiting period) will remain the same and non-compliant animals will continue to be either placed into quarantine, re-exported or, as a measure of last resort, euthanased. Defra will continue to work closely with its operational partners to clamp down on the illegal puppy trade and prosecute those responsible.