Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been imported under the Pet Travel Scheme since December 2019.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Year | Total number of Dogs |
Dec 2019 only | 21,013 |
2020 | 186,629 |
2021 | 165,871 |
2022 | 282,909 |
This is a summary of animals entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme via an approved route. It does not include pet animals that enter other parts of the UK (such as Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands) or pet animals that enter Great Britain from other parts of the UK. It does not include any animals that enter Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme from the Republic of Ireland (as these movements do not need to follow an approved route).
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals. This data can be subject to change as often throughput data from carriers can be received late.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 tackle trends in the level of cropping of dogs’ ears.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The cropping of a dog’s ears is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Now that the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 has come into force, anyone convicted of such an offence, faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill includes powers to introduce restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation on how these powers should be used, including proposals to ban the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback gathered from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 cropping of dogs’ ears.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The cropping of a dog’s ears is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Now that the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 has come into force, anyone convicted of such an offence, faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill includes powers to introduce restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation on how these powers should be used, including proposals to ban the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback gathered from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and a summary will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what interim arrangements will apply for the movement of pets between Great Britain and Northern Ireland until the Windsor Framework is implemented.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Windsor Framework ensures the smooth travel of pets between Northern Ireland and Great Britain without needless costs, health treatments or red tape. Pet owners do not need to take any immediate action because the current situation that we maintain unilaterally will continue. Further guidance on what pet owners will need to do will be provided in due course. We will consult and work with business over the coming months ahead of implementing any changes required by these arrangements.
Under the Windsor Framework there are no documentary requirements whatsoever for Northern Irish pets moving to Great Britain and back to Northern Ireland. Pet owners in Great Britain will be able to travel with their pets without costs, burdens or health treatments. For pet owners visiting Northern Ireland from Great Britain, the only requirement will be to confirm that the pet is microchipped and will not move into the EU.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether pets that have travelled from Northern Ireland to Great Britain can then travel on to the Republic of Ireland without further documentation.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The usual requirements under the EU Pet Travel Scheme apply when bringing a pet or assistance dog into an EU Member State from Great Britain, including where the pet has travelled from Northern Ireland.
This includes the need for a valid pet passport issued in the EU, Northern Ireland or a country listed by the EU as ‘Part 1’. In the absence of a valid pet passport, an Animal Health Certificate is required. These documents must include details of the necessary health preparations for the country the pet or assistance dog is travelling to.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to reduce the importation of dogs with cropped ears.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill includes powers to introduce restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation on how these powers should be used, including proposals to ban the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails. We are currently analysing the replies to this consultation and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
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 review her Department's policy that pets travelling by air into the United Kingdom should be treated as cargo.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We regularly review our pet travel guidance with stakeholders.
We have no immediate plans to change the process by which pet cats, dogs and ferrets may enter GB by air.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
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 she has made of the adequacy of travel guidance on taking a pet abroad; and if she will update that guidance to include guidance on dogs travelling in airplane cabins.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We regularly review and update our pet travel guidance based on user feedback.
When travelling to the UK by air, pets travel as manifest cargo to facilitate import checks upon arrival. Only recognised assistance dogs can travel in the cabin of an aircraft when travelling into the UK. Guidance on this is available on GOV.UK Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Guide and assistance dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) When travelling with a pet abroad, pet owners and assistance dogs users should seek guidance from the relevant competent authority and airline.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 her EU counterparts on the reintroduction of pet passports for UK citizens wishing to take their pets abroad to EU countries.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status. Achieving this would allow pet owners and assistance dog users to use pet passports when travelling to the EU.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what documents will need to be completed by pet owners in Northern Ireland to enable them to bring their pets to and from Great Britain under the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are no documentary requirements whatsoever for Northern Irish pets moving to Great Britain and back to Northern Ireland. Pet owners in Great Britain will be able to travel with their pets without costs, burdens or health treatments. For pet owners visiting Northern Ireland from Great Britain, the only requirement will be to confirm that the pet is microchipped and will not move into the EU. This will be in the form of a travel document issued for the lifetime of a pet, available online and electronically in a matter of minutes; or an equally seamless process built into the booking process for a flight or ferry. This avoids cumbersome bureaucracy and unnecessary checks, meaning efforts can be focused on real-world welfare, disease or smuggling risks with checks on Great Britain-Northern Ireland movements, operating on a risk and intelligence-led basis.