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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce a digitalised ID system for horses to (a) ensure effective enforcement of the ban on live exports for slaughter and (b) prevent illegal horse smuggling.

The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification. We have no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but we remain in close touch with the industry.

Exporting livestock and horses from Great Britain for slaughter is banned under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024. We have put in place regulations to ensure that the ban is enforced robustly. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024 came into force on 1st January 2025 and provide a range of regulatory and enforcement powers to the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Local Authority Inspectors.