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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of Scottish Government research on Ultra High Frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.

The Government has yet to make a decision on which technology to adopt for electronic identification (EID) in cattle in England. To inform decision making, Defra is reviewing, testing and seeking feedback on the different EID technologies, including through examining Scottish Government research.

In collaboration with the Welsh Government, we commissioned Harper Adams University to study the relative strengths and potential weaknesses of the two technologies under consideration. The findings of this study have now been published and can be found on Defra Science Search pages.

As we develop our thinking, Defra has also been in close touch with industry through an independent group of 25 industry, government and academic specialists from across the livestock, equine and meat industry.