In August 2021, the Government launched an eight-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. This will allow us to take on board the views of the public and interested groups on puppy smuggling and low welfare imports in order to shape our future policy.

Carriers work closely with operational colleagues at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Border Force and are committed to preventing illegal imports of pet animals. Authorised pet checkers are trained by APHA prior to being granted approval and receive annual audits of their checking and processing to ensure they uphold our requirements. APHA regularly reviews its border enforcement work against known travel trends of those that seek to illegally import puppies to the UK, to keep pace with this rapidly evolving criminal activity. Part of this work includes intelligence-led targeting of suspected smugglers, alongside partner agencies, including Border Force. Border Force operates a 24-hour service seven days per week and alerts APHA to suspected non-compliant dogs and puppies. Targeted intelligence-led work often takes place outside of normal working hours as needed. The Government is satisfied with the workings of these current arrangements.

This Government is committed to ensuring the welfare of animals and will act to protect them further in all circumstances. The Government's Pet Theft Taskforce has been set up to gather evidence to understand the factors that may be contributing to any rise in pets being stolen and will consider the issue from end to end, with the impact on the welfare of the animals being fully considered as one aspect.

In addition, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 (the Act) was granted Royal Assent on the 29 April 2021. This realises the Government's manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for cases of animal cruelty. The Act will come into force on the 29 June 2021 providing one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare.

The Act's new maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine will apply to animal cruelty offences, including causing unnecessary suffering to an animal in the process of stealing it.

The Government launched the Pet Theft Taskforce on 8 May 2021 and the taskforce expects to report its findings this summer. The taskforce’s terms of reference were published when it was launched and are available here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-theft-taskforce-terms-of-reference. The terms of reference detail the background to the taskforce’s establishment as well as information on its objectives.

The Government recognises the emotional trauma which the theft of a much-loved pet can cause, and the impact the issue is having on pet owners and families. As with all other crime, we believe that pet theft must be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.

The Government launched the pet theft taskforce on 8 May 2021. As part of that launch the taskforce’s terms of reference were published and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-theft-taskforce-terms-of-reference. The terms of reference lay out the background to the taskforce’s establishment as well as information on its objectives, or remit, and outcomes.

Membership of the Pet Theft Taskforce (Ministers) comprises the Lord Chancellor, Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. This group steers, and is informed by, the Pet Theft Taskforce (Officials) comprising officials from the three departments along with operational partners.

The Government recognises the emotional trauma which the theft of a much-loved pet can cause, and the impact the issue is having on pet owners and families. As with all other crime, we believe that pet theft must be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.

The Government launched the pet theft taskforce on 8 May 2021. As part of that launch the taskforce’s terms of reference were published and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-theft-taskforce-terms-of-reference. The terms of reference lay out the background to the taskforce’s establishment as well as information on its objectives, or remit, and outcomes.

Membership of the Pet Theft Taskforce (Ministers) comprises the Lord Chancellor, Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. This group steers, and is informed by, the Pet Theft Taskforce (Officials) comprising officials from the three departments along with operational partners.

After the Transition Period, we will have new opportunities to manage our pet travel rules and we intend to use this opportunity to review our current requirements and legislation, including the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011 (as amended). The Post Implementation Review of the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011 (as amended) should be published after the Transition Period.

The Ministry of Justice has published data up to December 2018. The number of prosecutions for offences under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 for 2014 to 2018 can be found in the accompanying table for the last five years for which data have been published.

Data for offences under the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011 are not held centrally by the Ministry of Justice. This information may be held by the individual courts in England and Wales and as such it can only be obtained at disproportionate cost

Data for the year ending December 2019 will be published in May 2020.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) take the following action where unauthorised pet transporters are identified during inspections:

• Where the transporter originates from an EU Member State, a notification under Article 26 of EU Regulation 1/2005 is sent to that Member State.

• Where the transporter is based within Great Britain, APHA will advise the transporter of authorisation requirements and alert the home local authority for where the transporter is based.

If welfare issues are identified during transport, APHA will take action to safeguard the welfare of animals, and where appropriate, engage the relevant local authority who act as our enforcement partner

I recognise the concerns that have been expressed regarding the welfare of primates kept as pets, given the complex needs of these animals. Therefore, we will issue a Call for Evidence to better understand: (i) the scale of ownership of primates as pets, (ii) how they are acquired, and (iii) the merits and impacts of potential restrictions on ownership, sale, breeding and trade. The Call for Evidence will be published in due course.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Government has no immediate plans to change the rabies regime in the short term following the UK’s departure from the EU. For entry into the UK the current pet travel health requirements will continue to apply, although additional controls could be considered at a later date

The UK harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PTS) rules in 2012. In 2011 we made an assessment of the risk of rabies introduction to the UK. This assessment concluded that the risk of an animal with rabies entering the UK under the PTS was very low. Since then, there have been no cases of rabies in pets entering the UK under the PTS. However, the Government continues to monitor the disease situation and will undertake a further formal risk assessment if evidence indicates that one is warranted.

When the UK leaves the EU it will be a third country. This means pet animals entering the EU from the UK would need to continue to follow the rules of the PTS. On 24 September this year a Technical Notice ‘Taking your pet abroad if there’s no Brexit deal’ was issued. On 6 November the Government issued follow up guidance and advice on Pet travel to Europe after Brexit in the unlikely event that the UK becomes an unlisted third country.