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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) sheep and (b) other livestock are transported safely and comfortably.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) take steps to ensure that sheep and other livestock are transported safely and comfortably by assessing and issuing long and short journey Transporter Authorisations to transporters. This includes the assessment of Vehicle Approval Certificates to ensure vehicles are designed and operated with regard to the welfare of animals, and the review of Competency Certificates for drivers and attendants transporting these animals.

APHA assess and issue Journey Logs to transporters in accordance with the maximum journey times permitted for transporting animals under Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. APHA carry out risk based supervised loadings on consignments of sheep and other livestock being exported as part of an economic activity. APHA also carry out proportional portal checks on sheep and other livestock being imported or exported and complete Quality Assurance checks to ensure compliance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 and associated regulatory action.