Correspondence Apr. 23 2024
Committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)Found: is our view that some of the recommendations focussed on breeding and the health of brachycephalic 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 discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential ban on importing dogs and cats under the age of six months; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that ban on levels of illegal pet trade.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra regularly engages with relevant stakeholders, on tackling the illegal pet trade, including prohibiting the import of puppies and kittens under the age of six months.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of puppies under six months old. By its very nature, it is difficult to assess the full extent of the illegal pet trade. The measures in the Bill will close loopholes exploited by unscrupulous traders, help reduce the low welfare movement of pets into Great Britain and crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies.
Mentions:
1: Christopher Chope (Con - Christchurch) 10% of the 9.5 million dogs in this country are not microchipped. - Speech Link
2: Anna Firth (Con - Southend West) It would also exclude certain working dogs, such as police and Army dogs, that do not have to be microchipped - Speech Link
3: Robbie Moore (Con - Keighley) In the UK, around 90% of dogs have been microchipped. - Speech Link
4: Daniel Zeichner (Lab - Cambridge) There has been none of the promised action to stop British farmers being undercut by low-welfare imports—a - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Fairlie, Jim (SNP - Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) to Animals have reiterated the importance of responsible dog ownership.Our support for Emma Harper’s Dogs - Speech Link
2: Harper, Emma (SNP - South Scotland) Government give to a national awareness-raising campaign to ensure that the menace of out-of-control dogs - Speech Link
3: Fairlie, Jim (SNP - Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) a definitive number now; we will come back to him with that.I re-emphasise to people who walk their dogs - Speech Link
4: Nicoll, Audrey (SNP - Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) In my constituency, small food producers are now facing a huge hike in fees for imports, which is threatening - Speech Link
5: Gougeon, Mairi (SNP - Angus North and Mearns) decisions in areas of devolved competence.Fundamentally, Brexit is the reason that new checks are needed on imports - Speech Link
Found: Authors Georgina Sturge, Pet theft statistics, Social and General Statistics Image Credits Happy dogs
Report Apr. 05 2024
Committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)Found: 34,291 non-commercial cat entries, 160 and 7,312 commercial cat imports. 161 Defra’s written evidence
Apr. 03 2024
Source Page: Animal Health Act 1981: Expenditure and Prosecutions – 2023Found: • Conducted investigations into three suspected illegally imported dogs.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to introduce a complete ban on the commercial movement of pregnant dogs, and (2) to increase the age at which puppies can be imported to six months.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill contains powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom, including prohibiting the import of heavily pregnant dogs over 42 days gestation and puppies under six months old.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a complete ban on the (1) importation, and (2) sale, of dogs which have had (a) their ears cropped, or (b) their tails docked, for cosmetic reasons.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears or the docking of their tails. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill contains powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails. This will prevent the import of non-exempted mutilated dogs for onward sale in the United Kingdom.
Oral Evidence Mar. 26 2024
Inquiry: Work of DefraFound: listening to the representations about extending the neutering deadline for the young XL bully dogs