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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2017 to Question 5522, (a) what steps he is taking to phase out manual data entry and (b) whether his Department is considering methods of data entry to improve the accuracy of data collection.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) agree a Required Method of Operation (RMOP) with transport companies which carry pet animals. The RMOP includes protocols to capture data accurately and to submit it in a timely manner. In the absence of an electronic method of data capture, manual entry is often the only current option. Whilst there is no legislative power to enforce data collection APHA work closely with the transport companies to ensure that they understand the need for accuracy.

A new electronic method of collecting data is being considered where APHA hope to build on technological approaches being developed for other purposes.