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Farriers’ Qualification (European Recognition) Regulations 2008

My Lords, I have no immediate personal interest in this matter. Unlike several of your Lordships I have no horse, nor do I ride. Yet one of my daughters-in-law is an enthusiastic, competitive horsewoman, which I suppose is an interest that I should declare. However, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Addington, as have other noble Lords, for laying this Prayer to revoke the regulations. He laid out the argument extremely well, and our debate has been instructive on the issue. I am sure that the Minister will share the misgivings of the many noble Lords who have spoken in this debate who, without exception, have expressed the view that the Government have got it wrong. It is certain that these regulations would not have been laid in this form if the consultation period had been more thorough. My noble friend Lady Byford explained that there had been a relatively short period of consultation before these regulations were laid, from 7 November to 19 December. The Government consulted the Farriers Registration Council, the Worshipful Company of Farriers, the United Kingdom Horse Shoers Union and the National Association of Farriers, Blacksmiths and Agricultural Engineers. Yet, as far as I can see, they did not include the British Horse Society, for example, or the Jockey Club, or the racehorse trainers’ association, or the racecourse managers, the Pony Club or anybody else who uses the services of farriers. Nor, for that matter, did they appear to consult the veterinary profession; neither can I find any reference to them asking the Army for an opinion, although as a service the Army has a qualification for a farrier going into civilian life having done service as a trained army farrier. Do the Government share the view of many in the farrier profession that allowing farriers to practise in the UK without having gone through UK channels of training is a regressive move? What safeguard do the Government have in place to ensure the welfare of a horse at the hands of an unqualified, temporary farrier? Is there any way in which these regulations have taken the horse’s welfare into consideration? To press the Minister further, are not horse owners at risk of having their insurance invalidated if their horse is damaged by an underqualified or temporary farrier? We are not talking of a minor industry; the noble Lord, Lord Dear, gave the figures. There are 1.35 million horses in this country, and at least 4 million people riding out once a year. The equine industry is worth £4 billion overall, with farriers themselves earning £250 million as a key part of the horse economy. There were 2,455 farriers registered in Great Britain in 2006. These figures emphasise the risks involved, as poorly-shod horses are a threat to animal welfare and public safety. My noble friend Lord Soulsby explained the importance of proper shoeing. The fact that the directive fails to classify the profession as having public health or safety implications prevents the Farriers Registration Council—the industry’s regulatory body—from making competence checks on an individual from within the EU who wishes to practise in the UK before they start doing so. There are no animal welfare or public safety provisions in the original directive, and it shows. I accept the enormous benefits that the free movement of professionals throughout Europe can bring to the economies of European member countries, but that cannot be at a reduction of professional standards. I hope that the Minister will agree to look again at these regulations, and at how the directive has been implemented.