Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department is considering a mandatory digital equine identification system.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and to improving equine identification and traceability. The Department has no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but Defra officials remain in close contact with industry to look at potential improvements.