Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 she has made of the adequacy of wildlife legislation for (a) enforcing and (b) prosecuting wildlife crime.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has no current plans to review wildlife legislation for (a) enforcing or (b) prosecuting wildlife crime while recognising there are obvious challenges for enforcement of such activity and successfully bringing prosecutions. For example, the crimes often occur in remote areas of our countryside where there may not be a witness. Wildlife crime, though, is unacceptable and significant sanctions are already available for judges to hand down to those convicted. Anyone who commits an offence under existing wildlife legislation can face up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine.
In terms of prosecutions, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provides legal guidance on wildlife crime which is available to all its prosecutors to assist them in dealing with these cases. Defra also supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). It is a principal funder of the Unit which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis, and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. The NWCU provides training to police officers across the UK. This reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in UK wildlife crime priorities and emerging trends.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 request that the UK is able to diverge from the EU in relation to animal welfare standards in the dynamic alignment requirement of the EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The agreement will cover SPS standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, and key marketing standards and compositional standards.
The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards, support public health, and support the use of new and innovative technologies.
The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU on enforcement of the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The agreement will cover SPS standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, and key marketing standards and compositional standards.
The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards, support public health, and support the use of new and innovative technologies.
The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the EU-UK SPS agreement on (a) the Government's commitment to improve animal welfare and (b) the Government's forthcoming animal welfare strategy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The agreement will cover SPS standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, and key marketing standards and compositional standards.
The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards, support public health, and support the use of new and innovative technologies.
The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publication of the animal welfare strategy.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) devolved administrations, (b) conservation organisations and (c) local communities to facilitate effective species reintroduction programmes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra enables and facilitates effective species reintroduction programmes through its arms-length bodies.
Regarding (a), Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and NatureScot meet quarterly to discuss species reintroductions. The England Species Reintroduction Taskforce and the National Species Reintroduction Forum (for Scotland) collaborate informally, with representatives attending each other's meetings to improve knowledge exchange. The Taskforce is beginning a formal collaboration with NatureScot on two key projects: developing a database for UK species reintroduction projects and developing a framework and guidance for conservation introduction.
Regarding (b), Natural England has a key role in advising partners including conservation organisations on species reintroductions, including as formal partners and funding some projects through the Species Recovery Programme. Natural England advice ranges from ensuring the Reintroductions Code is being followed to bringing stakeholders together to discuss individual projects. Forestry England works in partnership with conservation organisations to deliver nature recovery projects – including species reintroductions - in the nation’s forests.
Regarding (c), a requirement of the Code is to undertake effective engagement and consultation with stakeholders. This includes encouraging projects to engage with local communities to help create mutual understanding, offer a sense of shared purpose and benefits, and reduce the risk of future conflicts.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to lay the Activity Regulations required to give effect to the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023; and which activities he plans to prioritise.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to take forward changes to low-welfare activities abroad.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to include the (a) Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and (b) Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy in its planned review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Defra is actively engaging with key stakeholders to review opportunities for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. It’s really important that we do this together to have the best opportunity of delivering the best reform for the future of the whole of the veterinary profession. Defra is grateful for the engagement of lots of different representatives of Allied Veterinary Professionals in this process, and plan to continue engaging a diverse group of stakeholders.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that any future UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) veterinary agreement supports the vital role of (a) zoos and (b) aquariums in international conservation breeding programmes.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on May 19 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. With the principles and framework of a deal agreed, we will now negotiate the detail of an agreement that reduce administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
We continue to work with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges regarding EU trade– such as the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity. However, our primary focus is on securing a long-term, sustainable solution through a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the EU.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) zoos and (b) aquariums on the inclusion of conservation animal transfers in a future UK-EU veterinary agreement.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on May 19 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area, aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitate the safe and efficient movement of zoo animals. With the principles and framework of a deal agreed, we will now negotiate the detail of an agreement that reduces administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
We continue to work closely with zoos and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address challenges related to the movement of animals between the UK and the EU. This includes the availability of Export Health Certificates and to expedite requests for new EHCs, for breeding programmes where welfare concerns may arise.
Ministers have actively engaged with the zoo and wildlife sector through multiple visits and discussions to understand its challenges and opportunities. This dialogue will continue as we work together to support ongoing improvements.