Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 6 March 2018 to Question 130571, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh East of 2 February 2018 on the sale of electronic shock collars.
Answered by George Eustice
A response was sent on 22 March. Following detailed consideration of the issues around the use of electronic training collars, the Government has launched a full public consultation on the possibility of banning the use of electronic training collars for cats and dogs in England.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 13 February 2018 to Question 126358 and the letter to the Secretary of State from the hon. Member for Edinburgh East, what his policy is on the sale of electronic shock collars.
Answered by George Eustice
We have updated the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs (made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006), and strengthened the form of wording on the use of negative training methods. The draft code, which is currently before Parliament, makes it clear that any training method which includes physical punishment may cause pain, suffering and distress and could lead to aggressive responses and worsen the problems they aim to address.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the use of electronic training devices for dogs.
Answered by George Eustice
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, on 26 January 2018, PQ UIN124107.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the use of electronic training devices for dogs.
Answered by George Eustice
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, on 26 January 2018, PQ UIN124107.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 her Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.
Answered by George Eustice
The department did not make any fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 between 1 April 2017 and 9 January 2018.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 cost of (a) improved and (b) new IT systems to administer support to the agriculture sector after 2020.
Answered by George Eustice
Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. We will be able to design new policies which specifically benefit the agriculture sector, the countryside and the environment. As part of this, we will determine what new systems we may need to implement these policies effectively, how existing IT infrastructure could be adapted, and the costs of doing so.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the letter of 15 November 2016 from the hon. Member for Edinburgh East, resent on 6 January 2017, on a constituent's Freedom of Information request.
Answered by George Eustice
A reply to your letter has been sent to you on 22 February 2017.