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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment for the implications of her policies of Dogs Trust’s recommendation to introduce a requirement to visually check animals entering the country at ports to ensure that the pet animal is (a) the same as the animal listed on the pet passport, (b) the age stated, (c) not heavily pregnant and (d) not suffering from poor welfare conditions.

We do not intend to make such an assessment. We already operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes (every route other than Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies) under the Pet Travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers.