Recommendation 28

HM Government · verbatim extract Accepted in Part

The Government acknowledges the Committee’s concerns and partially accepts its recommendation. Defra officials have been working to deliver an improved identification and traceability system for equines to support biosecurity, public health, equine welfare, and trade. The implementation of digital identification and improved traceability of equines requires both legislative change and digital enhancements to the current Central Equine Database. Following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and first part of the Spending Review, there are considerable pressures on public finances to meet the government’s priorities for Defra. As a result, we are unable to progress with the delivery of a digitised equine identification system for the time being. The government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification and traceability. As an interim measure, until digitisation work can progress, Defra is considering other options to improve the current regime. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act, which bans the export of livestock and horses for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, came into force on 22nd July 2024. We are putting in place regulations to ensure the ban is implemented effectively and enforced robustly. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Export) Enforcement Regulations 2024 were laid in Parliament on 12th September 2024. The Regulations will work alongside the existing legislative regime for animal welfare in transport, to provide a range of regulatory and enforcement powers to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Local Authority Inspectors. We are taking a co-design group approach, working closely with industry, to identify solutions to prevent horses being exported for slaughter. The group membership includes industry representatives across the welfare, leisure, performance and racehorse sectors, as well as transporters and agents who facilitate the export of horses. The group has been asked to put forward an evidence based and workable option early in 2025. The Government is committed to improving animal welfare. As outlined in our manifesto, we will ban trail hunting and the import of hunting trophies. And we will go further to end puppy smuggling and farming, and the use of snare traps. We are considering the most effective ways to deliver these commitments and will be setting out next steps in due course. The Government appreciates the work undertaken by the previous Committee during its inquiry into pet welfare and abuse and will continue to take their recommendations into account as we deliver our future work programme.