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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that cats and kittens brought into the UK under the pet passport scheme do not carry diseases and parasites, including tapeworm and non-UK types of tick.

The Government is committed to preserving the UK’s high standards of biosecurity and animal welfare. The EU Pet Travel Scheme requires all pets travelling to Great Britain on approved routes to be declared. 100% of these are then subject to documentary and identity checks. Documentary checks for cats include a passport, signed by an Official Veterinarian in the country of origin, certifying that the cat has been vaccinated against rabies.

Since 2012, when the UK harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme, we have no longer required tick or tapeworm treatment for cats or kittens. Risk assessments have been undertaken, both before harmonisation and since, which supported the removal of these requirements. As such, we have no plans to change the import requirements for pet cats. However, we continue to monitor the disease situation and will undertake a further formal risk assessment if evidence indicates that one is warranted.