Julian Sturdy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2014-03-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the welfare of horses is considered a priority in live exports and (b) laws relating to the welfare of horses are being enforced.

George Eustice

The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) carries out non-discriminatory, risk-based inspections of animals, means of transport and accompanying documentation, as required by Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005. This Regulation is implemented in England by The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO).

Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of this legislation, in terms of investigating and, where appropriate, taking prosecution action against any transporters alleged to have committed an offence.