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 for semi-wild ponies living in areas that are derogated under the Equine Identification Regulations, and which are micro-chipped and identified by an identification document under article 7 of Commission Regulation 504/2008 or article 13 of Commission Implementing Regulation 2015/262, to be included in the central equine database as eligible for slaughter for human consumption; and when he plans to commence that process.

The Central Equine Database will include details of all equines with UK passports. Work to include those semi-wild ponies who are subsequently issued with UK passports will commence shortly.