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 his Department is taking to reduce cat and kitten smuggling from overseas.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Criminal offences already exist for cats and kittens brought into this country in breach of current import requirements.
In autumn 2021 we consulted on further proposed changes to the rules governing the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain.
The consultation sought views on whether maintaining the existing requirements in relation to cats was the right approach. We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders in the animal welfare sector, including Cats Protection, and a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 12 July 2023 to Question 192201 on Dogs: Smuggling, what actions points her Department has recorded in the context of her Department's discussion with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) third-party stakeholders on policy formation to tackle puppy smuggling.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
The Department continues to engage with third party stakeholders on the issue of tackling puppy smuggling to gather views on this subject as part of routine engagement.
The Government is committed to delivering its manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling when parliamentary time allows.
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.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals on (a) livestock worrying, (b) puppy and kitten smuggling, (c) the import of dogs and cats with illegal mutilations and (d) cat and dog abduction.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We are committed to taking forward measures formerly in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill individually through other means during the remainder of this Parliament. We have listened carefully to views expressed on these measures and this approach will enable us to take this feedback into further consideration when delivering these measures.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department has had with (a) other Government Departments and (b) third-party stakeholders on policy formation on tackling puppy smuggling.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra officials have regular discussions with other Government Departments, including Border Force, and third-party stakeholders such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, on policy formation on tackling puppy smuggling.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will consult with the animal welfare sector on pet smuggling measures; and whether he will include cats and kittens in pet smuggling proposals.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In Autumn 2021 we consulted on further proposed changes to the rules governing the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders in the animal welfare sector and a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the smuggling of cats into the UK.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Criminal offences already exist for cats brought into this country in breach of current import requirements.
In Autumn 2021 we consulted on further proposed changes to the rules governing the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, including Cats Protection, and a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Leader of the House on legislative proposals to prevent pet smuggling; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making cat smuggling a criminal offence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Leader of the House about our legislative programme and other matters.
Criminal offences already exist for cats brought into this country in breach of current import requirements.
In Autumn 2021 we consulted on further proposed changes to the rules governing the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain. This included proposals to ban the import of puppies under the age of six months, dogs with cropped ears or docked tails, and dogs that are heavily pregnant.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce legislation against (1) puppy smuggling, (2) puppy farming, (3) pet theft, and (4) live animal exports.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
We remain committed to tackling puppy smuggling, pet theft and to banning the export of live animals for fattening and slaughter. We will be taking forward these measures individually through the remainder of this parliament. Parliamentary business will be announced in the usual way.
This Government takes the issue of low-welfare and illegal supply of puppies very seriously. Significant steps have already been taken to improve and update the laws on dog breeding in England to crack down on unscrupulous breeders who breed dogs purely for financial greed at the expense of animal welfare.
Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including provisions to protect dogs from being bred from too often or at too early an age.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Streatham and Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes are in place to prevent drugs being smuggled into prisons by (a) staff, (b) offenders and (c) visitors.
Answered by Damian Hinds
In the Prisons Strategy White Paper, we committed to a zero-tolerance approach to crime in prisons. Our £100m Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, was completed in March 2022. The programme included a range of security measures to reduce drug conveyance.
This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners, resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2022, we had recorded 28,626 positive indications, helping to tackle the supply of drugs into prisons.
Airport-style Enhanced Gate Security has been deployed to 42 high-risk prison sites, implementing routine searching of staff and visitors through the use of drug dogs and metal detectors. We have also installed 76 baggage scanners at 45 high-risk prisons.
To prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs such as psychoactive substances through the mail, we have deployed 95 new, next generation trace detection machines.
The Security Investment Programme also funded the expansion of our Counter Corruption Unit. The priorities of this unit are to prevent staff from engaging in corruption, strengthen their professional integrity and pursue and punish corrupt staff.