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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations of The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, entitled Recommendations for future veterinary legislation, published on 13 October 2021.

Defra is grateful to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) for their proposal to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. Defra officials are reviewing the proposals. I recognise the potential benefits associated with changes to the Act and my officials have been engaging with the RCVS and the sector more widely on how the Act could best be updated.