Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
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 3 November 2025 to Question 85053 on the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023, if she will set out a timeline including milestones for the introduction of the regulations under the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
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 the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) horseracing, (b) the equine sector and (c) the rural economy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra regularly engages with other Departments including The Treasury to ensure our interests, including in rural areas, are not overlooked. The Spending Review settlement outlined the Government’s support for the rural economy and to protect the countryside. Defra will confirm detailed allocations for other programmes through this round of business planning.
We know that rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy, contributing over £259 billion a year to England alone. This Government is committed to improving quality of life for people in rural areas, to realise the full potential of rural business and communities.
Defra recognises the importance of the equine sector to the economy. Defra engages with the industry on protecting public health, managing disease outbreak, and ensuring welfare and biosecurity, and works across Government on broader issues, such as domestic business and international trade.
DCMS lead on engagement with the Treasury on support for the horseracing sector. Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct Government-mandated levy which helps to drive improvements in the sport. This year’s levy yield is set to be around £108 million which, if confirmed, exceeds the previous year's figure of £105 million.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support she is providing to the (a) horseracing industry, (b) equine sector and (c) rural economy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy which helps to drive improvements in the sport.
This year’s levy yield is set to be around £108 million which, if confirmed, exceeds the previous year's figure of £105 million.
The Secretary of State recently approved the request to put £1.15 million of levy funds towards the production costs of “Champions: Full Gallop” Series 2, which is designed to attract new fans to the sport. This sits alongside Great British Racing’s “The Going is Good” campaign which also received £3.62 million from the Levy Board.
There has been ministerial engagement between Defra and His Majesty’s Treasury to ensure that they are aware of the specific way British horseracing is funded and the potential implications of any changes to taxation.
Defra recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and acknowledges the value of a robust equine identification and traceability regime. The current system supports public health, disease outbreak management, and biosecurity. Biosecurity is also protected by the UK’s imports requirements and imports health certificates for equines.
The SPS agreement, outlined at the UK-EU Leader’s Summit on 19th May 2025, will establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, aimed at facilitating the safe and efficient movement of trade. The SPS Agreement will cover sanitary rules and the regulation of live animals, including animal health conditions governing the movement and importation of Equidae. The SPS Agreement is built on a commitment for the UK to regulate consistently with the EU on specific SPS rules. Defra is currently working to establish what implementation of the SPS Agreement will involve for equines.
We know that rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy, contributing over £240 billion a year to England alone. This government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities.
The Spending Review settlement outlined support for the rural economy and protect the countryside. In addition to funding for sustainable farming and nature recovery, the government confirmed investment of over £1.9 billion over four years into broadband and 4G connectivity, and £2.3 billion of Local Transport Grant funding for smaller cities, towns and rural area. This funding addresses the key blockers to growth in rural areas.
Separately, Defra will confirm detailed allocations for other programmes through this round of business planning.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to tackle (a) puppy and kitten smuggling and (b) ear cropping of dogs.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto we will end puppy smuggling.
Ear cropping has rightly been banned in the UK for over 15 years. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g., where a surgical procedure is not carried out for medical purposes, such as the cropping of a dog’s ears. While the practice is illegal in the UK, we recognise that the current legislative framework can be abused by traders who import these dogs from abroad.
We are considering the most effective ways to deliver our commitments and will be setting out next steps in due course.