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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason live reptiles imports from the EU have been moved from Low to High Risk under the Target Operating Model method.

Live animals are inherently high risk; they cannot be kept in sealed consignments and some of them pose not only a potential animal health risk but also a risk for the environment in the case of non-native species or invasive pests, and a risk to the trade on endangered species. Later in 2024 we expect all checks on live animals (except pet animals) to be carried out at a live animal Border Control Post, as they become operational.