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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to protect Dartmoor ponies.

In Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, now open for applications, we have removed the competition between cattle and ponies as recommended in the Dartmoor review. We provide payment for grazing with both, and both are eligible under the native breeds at risk supplement. The new offer also clarifies that ponies are exempt from stock removal requirements, recognising that removal of ponies from moorland is neither feasible nor desirable in most circumstances.

The moorland offer will be subject to monitoring and evaluation. Any change in the pony population during this time will be investigated and further mitigations will be explored if necessary.

In addition to monitoring the moorland offer, Defra supports conservation of livestock and equines, including the Dartmoor Pony, by monitoring populations of native breeds, with data published in the annual UK National Breed inventory. Defra also protects eligible native breeds at risk from culling during notifiable disease outbreaks.