Written Evidence Oct. 24 2023
Inquiry: Post-pandemic health and welfare concerns of companion animals, including abuse and mutilationFound: PWA0078 - Pet welfare and abuse Dogs Trust Written Evidence
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral statement by the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries on 25 May 2023, Official Report, column 494, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import of (a) dogs with cropped ears and (b) other mutilated dogs.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We plan to take forward measures in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, including those relating to puppy smuggling, individually through other means during the remainder of this Parliament. That is why we would be supportive of legislating to ban the import of dogs with mutilations, such as cropped ears and docked tails, as a single-issue Bill when Parliamentary time allows.
In August 2021, we consulted on proposed changes to the commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into Great Britain.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and a summary will be published in due course.
Mentions:
1: Lord True (Con - Life peer) into specifics, but there is work going on by the international coalition to seek to prevent weapons smuggling - Speech Link
2: Lord Howell of Guildford (Con - Life peer) motive is that they want to assert, against the opinion of the Saudis and others, that they are the top dogs - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Alex Sobel (LAB - Leeds North West) Where is the action on puppy smuggling, and why has the trophy hunting ban not gone through as an Act - Speech Link
2: Ashley Dalton (Lab - West Lancashire) Does the Minister expect further legislation on animal welfare—for instance on puppy smuggling—and if - Speech Link
3: Mark Spencer (Con - Sherwood) We have made microchipping compulsory for cats and dogs. - Speech Link
4: Ruth Jones (Lab - Newport West) Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton) about their future plans on puppy smuggling, ear - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Fuller (Con - Life peer) Forcing councils to hire people in yellow coats to tell ramblers how to walk their dogs in the name of - Speech Link
2: Lord Gascoigne (Con - Life peer) Where is the end to puppy smuggling? - Speech Link
3: Lord Colgrain (Con - Excepted Hereditary) of the general election, I was to have had the privilege of introducing to your Lordships’ House the Dogs - Speech Link
4: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (LD - Life peer) Previous attempts to tackle puppy smuggling were unsuccessful. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: James Cleverly (Con - Braintree) deterrent that the National Crime Agency said we needed in order to break the business model of people smuggling - Speech Link
2: Neil Hudson (Con - Epping Forest) urge the Government to continue that progress and to support legislation on issues such as banning the smuggling - Speech Link
3: Jo White (Lab - Bassetlaw) The border sniffer dogs were an infrequent luxury. - Speech Link
4: David Simmonds (Con - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) bring to justice criminal gangs—the successful prosecutions achieved of those involved in setting up smuggling - Speech Link
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of penalties for people illegally importing dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Government takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals.
In August 2021, the Government launched an 8-week consultation on proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain, and appropriate penalties for those who illegally import dogs. We are carefully reviewing this feedback and wider engagement with stakeholders in the animal welfare sector and a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce puppy smuggling between Northern Ireland and England.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Government takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency continues to work collaboratively with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland and other relevant authorities, sharing intelligence to disrupt illegal imports and safeguard the welfare of animals.
Written Evidence Nov. 21 2023
Inquiry: Post-pandemic health and welfare concerns of companion animals, including abuse and mutilationFound: ornamental fish, reptiles, birds and invertebrates, zoo animals, sports horses, farm livestock and dogs
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources allocated to enforcement agencies responsible for checking pets entering the UK to effectively counter puppy and kitten smuggling.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra regularly engages with enforcement agencies regarding tackling illegal pet smuggling and appropriate resourcing.
Local authorities and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are responsible for enforcing pet travel and commercial import requirements.
Authorised carriers and pet checkers have the delegated responsibility for conducting pet checks on non-commercial movements. They can refuse travel for non-compliant animals or share intelligence with the Animal and Plant Health Agency who can intercept at the port or border if non-compliance is suspected.