Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) adding American XL bully dogs and their various cross breeds to the list of prohibited dogs, (b) bringing forward legislation making it illegal to import a dog with cropped ears from another country and (c) increasing sentences for people found guilty of selling illegal dog breeds.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We currently have no plans to add these breed types to Section 1 of Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or increase sentences for people found guilty of selling illegal dog breeds.
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: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 plans to take steps to amend legislation on the welfare of farmed fish.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any protected animal, or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of an animal, including fish, for which that person is responsible.
As part of the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are currently considering a number of improvements that could be made to the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing. To inform this work, we have asked the Animal Welfare Committee to update its 2014 Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of banning the sale and distribution of live crabs and lobsters by online retailers.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We are considering carefully the implications of recognising in law the sentience of decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs. The Government currently has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a ban on the sale of live crabs and lobsters online.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the results of the consultation on commonly littered single use plastic items will be published.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government response to the consultation was published on the 14 January 2022.
Following overwhelming support from respondents, from October 2023 we will introduce legislation banning the supply to the end user of single use plastic plates, trays, bowls, except when used as packaging, and banning the supply of single-use plastic cutlery and balloon sticks, and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers, in England.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 paper published in The Veterinary Record in March 2022 entitled analysis of the impact of badger culling on bovine tuberculosis in cattle in the high-risk area of England, 2009–2020, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of that paper's findings; and if she will make it her policy to prevent industry-led badger culling.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss, and Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Gideon Henderson, have made clear their views on the paper referenced in their letter to the Veterinary Record of 18 March and in the correction published on 21 May, which had no impact on their original conclusions.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps the Government has taken to improve accessibility of Britain’s nature for (a) children and teenagers, (b) low-income households and (c) older people.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have no plans to change legislation as it is unnecessary to do so to encourage people to enjoy nature. These are just some of the examples of the work being undertaken to increase access for all.
For children and young people the Government has launched the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy a commitment to increase opportunities for all children and young people to spend time in nature, learn more about it, and get involved in improving their environment. This includes the introduction of a new Natural History GCSE, the climate change award which will formally recognise and celebrate the achievements of children and young people and the establishment of the National Education Nature Park an initiative aimed at harnessing the collective potential of the education estate in England to increase and improve biodiversity.
For low-income households the £9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund launched in August 2022 will create or significantly refurbish over 100 green spaces, instilling pride in place, and targets the 100 most deprived urban communities across the UK who also lack accessible green space.
For older people the Green Social Prescribing Programme is targeting under-represented groups and those most affected by health inequalities, and as such includes interventions targeted at older people. For example, in the Greater Manchester site, the programme has set up a dementia gardening and nature arts group at a local GP surgery.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce barriers to people transporting their pets to and from Europe.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status and recognition of the UK's tapeworm-free status. We see no valid animal health reason for these not to be granted. Achieving these would reduce barriers for pet owners and assistance dog users transporting their pets to the EU and allow them to use pet passports.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits of reinstating the pet passport system for travel to Europe.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status and recognition of the UK's tapeworm-free status. We see no valid animal health reason for these not to be granted. Achieving these would reduce barriers for pet owners and assistance dog users transporting their pets to the EU and allow them to use pet passports.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will make it their policy to expand the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to give a legal right of public access to rivers, woods and green belt land.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have no plans to change legislation as it is unnecessary to do so to encourage people to enjoy nature.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of including mandatory visual checks of imported puppies at the UK border as part of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Now that we have left the EU, we are making significant changes to domestic law through the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, bringing in legislation to further protect the welfare of pets, farmed and kept wild animals in Great Britain.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill allows us to further protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill also includes powers to introduce further restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. We have no plans to introduce further visual checks as part of the Bill.