Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Matthew Offord (Conservative) on Wednesday, 18 November 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 November 2020. It was answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury (Conservative) on Friday, 27 November 2020 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Pets: Ticks

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of reintroducing compulsory tick treatment for pets at UK borders.

Answer

Tick surveillance has shown that tick distribution and abundance is changing throughout the UK for many reasons, including habitat and climate change. Small numbers of localised infestations with non-native tick species have been reported in recent years. For these reasons, Defra strongly encourages pet owners to treat their pets to safeguard their animals against ticks and tick transmitted diseases when travelling abroad. Further advice can be obtained from their local vet, and via the Public Health England leaflet available on GOV.UK.

While Defra has no immediate plans to amend the tick controls for pet animals entering the UK, the end of the Transition Period will open up new opportunities for managing our Pet Travel rules. We remain aware of the concerns around ticks and tick-borne disease, and future policy will be guided by risk assessment. Defra also continues to monitor the disease situation through the Tick Surveillance Scheme.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
117241
Session
2019-21
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Borders Disease control Pets Ticks
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk