Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation whether on-farm, during transport or at slaughter, with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 making it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide the welfare needs of the animal.
It is the responsibility of livestock keepers and authorised transporters to have contingency plans in place to ensure their animals' welfare in extreme weather, including advice on checking on animals more regularly and ensuring all animals have easy access to water on a daily basis, and not transporting animals in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We also publish advice on GOV.UK specifically for keepers: Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather
Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) also closely monitors weather forecasts and issues guidance to all authorised transporters on key actions that can be taken when transporting animals to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation whether on-farm, during transport or at slaughter, with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 making it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide the welfare needs of the animal.
It is the responsibility of livestock keepers and authorised transporters to have contingency plans in place to ensure their animals' welfare in extreme weather, including advice on checking on animals more regularly and ensuring all animals have easy access to water on a daily basis, and not transporting animals in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We also publish advice on GOV.UK specifically for keepers: Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather
Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) also closely monitors weather forecasts and issues guidance to all authorised transporters on key actions that can be taken when transporting animals to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2087 on Horse: Smuggling, what estimate his Department has made of the number of horses smuggled from the United Kingdom at (a) Dover and (b) other ports for which the latest data is available.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
APHA defines a smuggled animal as one that is illegally exported: it is one that is not travelling on appropriate paperwork, has not been declared and/or is concealed. This means that robust data on the numbers of horses and ponies illegally smuggled out of the United Kingdom in the last 5 years is not readily available, as APHA can only report on inspected animals; those that are presented or intercepted.
APHA holds data for the period September 2023 to date for Dover only. We have previously provided the data from September 2023 to 30 July 2024.
See PQ 45796 for the most recent data on recorded exports.
Between 31 July 2024 to present, APHA Dover inspected 197 horses/ponies being exported into mainland Europe, including those originating from Ireland and transiting through Great Britain. Of these, 65 were found to be non-compliant due to contraventions of official controls related to animal health and the welfare of animals in transport.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce a digitalised ID system for horses to (a) ensure effective enforcement of the ban on live exports for slaughter and (b) prevent illegal horse smuggling.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification. We have no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but we remain in close touch with the industry.
Exporting livestock and horses from Great Britain for slaughter is banned under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024. We have put in place regulations to ensure that the ban is enforced robustly. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024 came into force on 1st January 2025 and provide a range of regulatory and enforcement powers to the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Local Authority Inspectors.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure enforcement of the ban on live (a) horse and (b) other animal exports for slaughter.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification. We have no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but we remain in close touch with the industry.
Exporting livestock and horses from Great Britain for slaughter is banned under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024. We have put in place regulations to ensure that the ban is enforced robustly. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024 came into force on 1st January 2025 and provide a range of regulatory and enforcement powers to the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Local Authority Inspectors.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support veterinary practices to adopt an aligned approach to antimicrobial use, and increase the use of antimicrobial prescribing guidelines.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A key commitment of the AMR National Action Plan is to work alongside the veterinary profession to ensure they are supported to prescribe antibiotics responsibly and support animal health and welfare. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate lead on this work and have funded online training for both farm animal and companion animal vets through the RCVS Knowledge VetTeamAMR (attached: VetTeamAMR – RCVS knowledge) initiative. This provides important advice on how to manage different diseases and conditions where antibiotics are most commonly used, as well as modules on diagnostics, behaviour change, and infection control. The Veterinary Medicines Regulations were revised in 2024 and include provisions which increase the scrutiny on antibiotic prescribing. We have published guidance (attached: Veterinary Medicines Guidance) to help vets comply with the AMR elements of the VMRs and ensure responsible use of antibiotics under the cascade. We also work alongside the veterinary profession through antibiotic stewardship groups to encourage and support the development and dissemination of guidelines to vets (attached: Guidelines and guidance on the responsible use of veterinary medicines). Examples include the recently updated BSAVA/SAMSoc guidance for dogs and cats, the PROTECT ME guidelines for horses, the Pig Veterinary Society prescribing principles and guidance for dairy vets on reducing antibiotic milk residues.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to improve conditions for farm animals being transported for slaughter or further fattening.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is considering its priorities for improving welfare for all animals, including those that are transported to slaughter or further fattening.
We are putting in place regulations to ensure the ban on exports of livestock and horses for slaughter is implemented and enforced effectively. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024 were laid before Parliament on 12 September, debated and approved in both Houses on 5 November and will come into force on 1 January 2025.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on prohibiting the practice of tethering horses by (a) roadsides and (b) on (i) common and (ii) waste grounds.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines.
As stated in the code, tethering is not a suitable method of long-term management of an animal. It should only be used as a short-term method. People who do not tether their horses appropriately risk causing their animals distress and suffering.
Local authorities have powers under the 2006 Act to act to intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering on any land, public or private.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introduce a ban on all live animal exports.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 came into force on 22 July 2024. The Act bans the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses for fattening or slaughter from Great Britain, stopping stress, exhaustion and injury caused by this unnecessary trade. It applies to journeys from, and transiting journeys through, Great Britain to destinations outside the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. We are putting in place Regulations to ensure the ban is implemented effectively and enforced robustly. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024 have been laid before Parliament.
Exports for all purposes other than slaughter or fattening, such as for breeding, competitions and shows, or scientific research, continue to be permitted.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the smuggling of (a) horses, (b) ponies and (c) donkeys.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Exporting horses and other equines from Great Britain for slaughter is banned under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024.
More broadly, the Government is reviewing options to improve equine identification and traceability.