Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
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 7 June 2018 to Question 149081, if he will meet representatives of animal rescue charities to discuss the potential merits of introducing measures to license and regulate animal rescue centres.
Answered by George Eustice
Under The Animal Welfare (Licensed Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 anyone who is in the business of selling pet animals will need to be licensed. Depending on the circumstances that can include animal rescue charities where animals are re-homed and a set fee is charged. We regularly discuss these matters with the bodies represented on the Canine and Feline Sector Group, including animal welfare charities.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the animal charity sector on the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals for the regulation and licensing of animal rescue centres.
Answered by George Eustice
We do not have precise numbers available of the charities that have expressed an opinion on the regulation of animal rescue homes over the last five years. However, Defra is aware that animal rescue homes have expressed views on both sides of the argument in relation to the regulation of such establishments. Ministers have not held any recent discussions with animal charities about the regulation of animal rescue homes.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
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 Oral Answer of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 26 April 2018, Official Report, column 1007, how many charities have made representations to his Department to register (a) concerns about the potential burden of and (b) support for introducing licensing and regulation for animal rescue homes in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
We do not have precise numbers available of the charities that have expressed an opinion on the regulation of animal rescue homes over the last five years. However, Defra is aware that animal rescue homes have expressed views on both sides of the argument in relation to the regulation of such establishments. Ministers have not held any recent discussions with animal charities about the regulation of animal rescue homes.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
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 his Department has made of the number of animal rescue centres with overcrowded living conditions.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has not made any such assessments, but under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide for its welfare needs. If anyone has any concerns about the welfare of an animal in a rescue centre, they should report it to the relevant local authority which has powers to investigate, or to the RSPCA who can also investigate such matters. The Government supports the work of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes whose members must meet minimum standards of welfare.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
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 his Department has made of the number of animals that are unsuitably re-homed from animal rescue centres in England in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has not made any such assessments, but under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide for its welfare needs. If anyone has any concerns about the welfare of an animal in a rescue centre, they should report it to the relevant local authority which has powers to investigate, or to the RSPCA who can also investigate such matters. The Government supports the work of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes whose members must meet minimum standards of welfare.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the processes for checking for diseases in animal rescue centres.
Answered by George Eustice
All animal keepers, including operators of animal rescue centres, have a duty of care to prevent unnecessary suffering, and are legally obliged to report the presence of notifiable diseases to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), even if they only suspect that an animal may be affected. Failure to do so is an offence.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the proportion of animal rescue centres in England which are members of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra does not hold up to date estimates of the numbers of animal rescue homes, and therefore cannot provide an estimate of the proportion that are members of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of animal rescue homes in England.
Answered by George Eustice
We do not have any recent estimates of the number of animal rescue homes in England.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
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 27 April to Question 904960 on Animal Welfare, how many animal rescue homes are members of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes.
Answered by George Eustice
According to the website of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes there are 76 full members and 55 associate members.