The quarantine requirements for gamebird hatching eggs are that they shall be kept for at least three weeks from the date of hatching in the hatchery or on the establishment(s) to which they have been sent after hatching.

Day-old chicks shall be kept on the establishment of destination from their date of arrival for a period of at least six weeks; or until the day of slaughter. The period may be reduced to three weeks, provided that appropriate sampling and testing have been carried out with favourable results.

Our legislation sets out that disease control restricted zones put in place for Avian Influenza outbreaks can only be lifted and exports restarted 90 days after effective cleansing and disinfection. This is retained EU legislation (regulation 798/2008) and applies to gamebird hatching eggs and gamebird day-old chicks. The same rules affect exports from GB to EU. Operability amendments have been made to Regulation 798/2008 under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. There have been no changes to animal health requirements.

We understand that any interruption to egg supplies will have a significant impact on our sectors during this challenging time which has seen widespread Avian Influenza outbreaks across the EU and here in Great Britain.

With our French counterparts we tried to find a solution to enable the trade of gamebird eggs, whilst maintaining the necessary standards of biosecurity. Unfortunately, due to a range of external factors, it has not been possible to put measures in place in time for this year’s shooting season.

This will clearly have an impact on the shooting sector and we are exploring future measures that can be implemented to alleviate these pressures going forward.

The quarantine requirements for gamebird hatching eggs are that they shall be kept for at least three weeks from the date of hatching in the hatchery or on the establishment(s) to which they have been sent after hatching.

Day-old chicks shall be kept on the establishment of destination from their date of arrival for a period of at least six weeks; or until the day of slaughter. The period may be reduced to three weeks, provided that appropriate sampling and testing have been carried out with favourable results.

Our legislation sets out that disease control restricted zones put in place for Avian Influenza outbreaks can only be lifted and exports restarted 90 days after effective cleansing and disinfection. This is retained EU legislation (regulation 798/2008) and applies to gamebird hatching eggs and gamebird day-old chicks. The same rules affect exports from GB to EU. Operability amendments have been made to Regulation 798/2008 under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. There have been no changes to animal health requirements.

We understand that any interruption to egg supplies will have a significant impact on our sectors during this challenging time which has seen widespread Avian Influenza outbreaks across the EU and here in Great Britain.

With our French counterparts we tried to find a solution to enable the trade of gamebird eggs, whilst maintaining the necessary standards of biosecurity. Unfortunately, due to a range of external factors, it has not been possible to put measures in place in time for this year’s shooting season.

This will clearly have an impact on the shooting sector and we are exploring future measures that can be implemented to alleviate these pressures going forward.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 May 2022 to the hon. Member for Twickenham, PQ 1557.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 May 2022 to the hon. Member for Rotherham, PQ 1511.

The Government has made clear that the production of force-fed foie gras raises serious welfare concerns. Building on the opportunities presented by our departure from the EU, we are now able to actively consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices. We continue to gather information and speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. This will be used to inform our approach to the issue of force-fed foie gras.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 May 2022 to the hon. Member for Rotherham, PQ 1511.

We will bring forward one of the toughest bans on the import of hunting trophies in the world and we are exploring a range of legislative options to further protect animals abroad.

We will bring forward one of the toughest bans on the import of hunting trophies in the world and we are exploring a range of legislative options to further protect animals abroad.

Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).

The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.

APHA only holds data on GB imports.

Data for April 2022 not complete as not yet month end.

Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).

The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.

APHA only holds data on GB imports.

Data for April 2022 not complete as not yet month end.

Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s (Post Import Management System) and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).

The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We can’t guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders.

Data for April 2022 not complete as not yet month end.

As set out in the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are committed to promoting high animal welfare standards both at home and abroad. This includes delivering a range of measures to promote the welfare of animals beyond UK borders, setting a global example for high welfare and conservation standards.

We are moving forward with our plans to deliver one of the toughest bans in the world on the import of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species. The Government is firmly committed to the ban, and this will be brought forward as soon as Parliamentary time allows. We are also looking at further measures to protect animals abroad, including banning the import and export of detached fins, and taking action against low welfare animal experiences. Regarding both fur and foie gras, we are continuing to review the evidence and consider next steps.

The Government’s position remains that for both fur and foie gras, we will review the evidence and consider next steps. This has not changed. Fur farming has been banned in England and Wales since 2000 and 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Regarding foie gras, the Government has made clear that the production of force-fed foie gras raises serious welfare concerns. The practice is already prohibited in England and Wales under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. We are now able to consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices, such as restrictions on import and sale. We continue to gather information and speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved.

Now we have left the EU, the Government is able to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We continue to gather information and speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved.

We are reviewing the evidence gathered both from our Call for Evidence and wider engagement with the fur trade and stakeholders, and a summary of responses will be published soon.

As set out in the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are committed to promoting high animal welfare standards both at home and abroad. This includes delivering a range of measures to promote the welfare of animals beyond UK borders, setting a global example for high welfare and conservation standards.

We are moving forward with our plans to deliver one of the toughest bans in the world on the import of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species. We are firmly committed to the ban, and this will be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows. We are also looking at further measures to protect animals abroad, including banning the import and export of detached fins, and taking action against low welfare animal experiences.

Now we have left the EU, the Government is able to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We are reviewing the evidence gathered both from our Call for Evidence and wider engagement with the fur trade and stakeholders, and a summary of responses will be published soon.

Regarding foie gras, the Government has made clear that the production of force-fed foie gras raises serious welfare concerns. We are now able to consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices, such as restrictions on import and sale. We continue to gather information and speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved.

We will update members accordingly when this evidence gathering process is concluded for both fur and foie gras.

As set out in the response to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead on 7 March 2022 to Question 129762, we continue to engage with a range of stakeholders about the issues regarding foie gras produced overseas using force-feeding practices. This activity is a key step in taking forward the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June and is progressing through Parliament. The Bill includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

In August 2021, the Government launched an 8-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. The consultation proposed to maintain the existing requirements for cats. This is because there is currently limited evidence that there is a significant illegal trade in cats or significant numbers of low welfare movements. The number of non-compliant cats seized at the border is much lower than for dogs, for example, in 2020 we seized and detained 17 kittens (under 15 weeks) compared to 543 puppies. In 2020 no pregnant cats were seized and detained.

The consultation sought views on whether maintaining the existing requirements in relation to cats was the right approach. 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 in order to shape our future policy.

We will continue to work closely with stakeholders prior to the introduction of the legislation, to ensure that our final measures are well considered and led by the latest evidence.

Fur farming has been banned in the UK for over 20 years. Now we have left the EU, the Government is able to explore potential further action in relation to animal fur.

The recent call for evidence published by Defra on the fur trade in Great Britain was a key step in helping us to meet the commitment set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare to better understand the fur sector in Great Britain and gather evidence from those with an interest in it.

We received around 30,000 responses from businesses, representative bodies and individuals, demonstrating the strong public interest in this area. We are reviewing the evidence gathered both from our Call for Evidence and wider engagement with the fur trade and stakeholders, and a summary of responses setting out the results and key findings will be published soon.

The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Now we have left the EU we are able to consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices, such as restrictions on import and sale. We are gathering information and will continue to speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.