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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the free movement provision on equines under the Tripartite Agreement with France and Ireland is planned to continue after the UK leaves the EU.

The Government is very keen to see the spirit of our relationship with the EU, including that of the Tripartite Agreement, continue beyond our Exit. We want equines to continue to be able to travel to and from the EU with the minimum of disruption, whilst maintaining high biosecurity and welfare standards. The Government is negotiating our departure from the EU with this in mind and Defra is working with the Department for Exiting the European Union to consider appropriate future arrangements, including those for the movement of equines, under a number of possible scenarios. We are also putting in place contingency arrangements in the event of a no-deal outcome.