First Report - Moving animals across borders

The government confirms it takes pet smuggling seriously and elaborates on the actions it has taken or is taking, including the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill and the intention to introduce a ban on the movement of heavily pregnant dogs, to prevent pet smuggling.

The government confirms the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will address pet smuggling and restrict unacceptable pet movements. They are working rapidly on necessary secondary legislation alongside the Bill to allow for quick adaptation to issues like importing pregnant animals.

The government has issued comprehensive guidance, run social media campaigns, and continues to work with stakeholders to communicate new pet travel rules. Surveys suggest high public awareness, and measures are in place to minimise non-compliance at borders.

The government has accepted the recommendation, detailing comprehensive guidance issued through GOV.UK and social media, ongoing collaboration with veterinarians and carriers, and additional communications. They also introduced measures for pets refused entry to return to Great Britain without quarantine for a limited time.

The government accepts the importance of regaining ‘Part 1 listed’ status under the EU’s Pet Travel Scheme and states it has applied to the European Commission for this status, confirming it will continue to press the EU Commission to secure it.

The government states it has applied for 'Part 1 listed' status and will continue to press the EU Commission to secure this status, despite currently holding 'Part 2 listed' status.

The Government is committed to ending live exports for slaughter and is working with devolved nations, industry organisations, and World Horse Welfare to address the misdeclaration of equine movements, focusing on identifying evidence for legitimate trade and controlling high-risk consignments.

The government is working with devolved nations and industry organisations, including World Horse Welfare, to identify evidence of misdeclaration in equine movements and focus controls on higher-risk consignments to end live animal exports for slaughter.

The government clarifies that the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill does not ban the export of live animals for breeding purposes. It states it is working with the NFU and discussing with EU Member States to encourage the setup of Border Control Posts for breeding livestock exports.

The government states that the Secretary of State clarified in June 2021 that the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill would not prohibit the export of live animals for breeding purposes, directly addressing the committee's recommendation for a clear statement of support.

The government agrees to continue monitoring the implementation of residency and identification requirements for livestock movements between GB and NI and will report back to the Committee within 12 months as recommended.

The government has agreed a new Scrapie Qualifying Status (SQS) with the EU to facilitate the movement of breeding sheep and goats from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Applications are open until 31 December 2021, and scrapie testing costs for GB-NI movements have been included in the Movement Assistance Scheme.

The government states it has agreed a new Scrapie Qualifying Status (SQS) within the existing Scrapie Monitoring Scheme with the EU to facilitate the movement of breeding sheep from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and has included scrapie testing costs in the Movement Assistance Scheme.

The government extended the Movement Assistance Scheme to include the cost of scrapie testing for GB-NI movements from 1 July 2021, and has agreed a new Scrapie Qualifying Status to facilitate breeding sheep movements, addressing the recommendation before the suggested deadline.

The government acknowledges the minimal cost impact of the ban and commits to adapting the journey log system to allow for permitted movements like breeding by requiring evidence of purpose, working with industry to implement this.

The Government is fully committed to working with industry, chairing the Small Abattoirs Working Group, initiating sub-groups for detailed discussions, and exploring future funding through the Farming Investment Fund to support rural businesses affected by the ban on export for slaughter.

The government agrees with the recommendations on biosecurity but primarily describes existing systems and ongoing engagement, without committing to working with industry on new proposals or publishing them by the specified deadline.

The government acknowledges a shortfall in official veterinarians, particularly in abattoirs, and outlines specific actions already undertaken or underway, including £1.8m in grant funding, developing a centralised training package, and creating Certification Support Officer roles to increase capacity.