Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued on the inspection of dogs for distemper on arrival in the UK.
Answered by George Eustice
Canine Distemper is not a notifiable disease in the United Kingdom (UK) or the European Union (EU) and there is no requirement for dogs entering the country to be inspected or tested for the disease. There is a requirement for pets entering the UK to undergo identification and documentary checks to ensure that an adequate health preparation has taken place prior to entering the country.
There is no official guidance with regard to distemper, however, the department stresses good practice for owners and kennels to protect their dogs against the virus given that there is a vaccine available globally. The guidance titled “Getting your Pet Vaccinated” has been published by the British Veterinary Association in relation to vaccinations suitable for the protection of pets which Defra promotes.
All pet dogs moving to the UK for sale or rehoming must be examined by an Official Veterinarian (OV) in the country of origin prior to embarkation to ensure compliance with the Balai Directive for commercial movements. The OV must certify that the animal does not show any signs of disease within 48 hours of travelling.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people have been prosecuted for pet theft in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Records of prosecutions for offences under section 1 of the Theft Act 1968 do not provide breakdowns of the item or animal stolen.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
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 dogs with canine distemper; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce incidences of that disease.
Answered by George Eustice
There is an effective vaccine available for canine distemper which is administered by private vets as part of the standard vaccination programme undertaken by responsible dog owners. As there is an effective vaccine, and as the disease is not notifiable or reportable in the UK, the Government does not collect surveillance data.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received from Police and Crime Commissioners on the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals for an offence of attacking service animals.
Answered by George Eustice
We have not received representations directly from Police and Crime Commissioners for bringing forward legislative proposals for an offence of attacking service animals.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
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 effectiveness of existing legislation regulating the online sale of pets.
Answered by George Eustice
We have passed new legislation which replaces the existing law on the sale of pets. Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 it is clear that anyone in the business of selling pets, whether online or from a traditional pet shop, will need a licence from their local authority. The new regulations come into force on 1 October and will be enforced by local authorities.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
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 Guidance for business on environmental key performance indicators, published by his Department on 25 July 2012, whether he intends to publish his Department's findings from that consultation.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The guidance “Environmental Reporting Guidelines: Including mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting” was published in June 2013 and is available on the GOV.UK website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-reporting-guidelines-including-mandatory-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reporting-guidance.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
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 whether criminals make use of cyber-crime in the illegal wildlife trade.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Criminals are known to make use of cyber tools, including internet sale platforms, to facilitate the illegal wildlife trade. The National Wildlife Crime Unit assists law enforcers in their investigations and helps prevent and detect wildlife crime, including cybercrime.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a timetable has been set for the introduction of an ivory ban in the UK; and when he plans to publish the outcome of his Department’s consultation on banning UK sales of ivory.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government’s consultation on proposals to ban UK sales of ivory closed on 29 December last year and we received over 70,000 responses. We are currently analysing the information provided and will publish our response to the consultation shortly.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
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 effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in ensuring protection for the welfare of domestic rabbits.
Answered by George Eustice
We have not carried out any specific assessment of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in relation to rabbits. However, when the 2006 Act was reviewed in 2010 and when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs carried out its review “Animal Welfare in England: Domestic Pets” there were no specific recommendations made relating to rabbits. New regulations on the sale of pet animals including rabbits will include a requirement that all licensed sellers must provide information about the animals on sale. New guidance will accompany the new regulations which will provide minimum enclosure sizes for all licensed sellers of rabbits.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
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 effectiveness of enforcement of the Code of Practice for the welfare of game birds, published by his Department in 2009.
Answered by George Eustice
The welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds, as required by the Act. The Act and Defra’s Code are enforced by the Animal and Plant Health Agency.