My Lords, I was addressing some of the questions around equines. Due to the more complex nature of export movements of equines, we are taking a codesign approach to this issue, working together with stakeholders that know the industry best to find the most effective solution.
Questions were asked about the risks in delaying the controls. It is important that we take the necessary time to get this right. We want to ensure that equines will not be exported for slaughter but, at the same time, that the export of equines for legitimate purposes must not be impeded. We are working closely with industry to find that balance.
I was asked about the journey logs for registered horses. Again, we are working together with stakeholders to find the best approach to implementing the ban before we lay the draft enforcement regulations before Parliament, because we want to achieve a balance between ensuring that the ban is implemented effectively while minimising any burden on legitimate risks.
The noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh of Pickering, asked about the Government’s view on the live animal BCP issue. Clearly this is a commercial issue but we are sympathetic to the concerns of the businesses involved. Noble Lords may be interested to know that I have had a series of round tables with different groups of stakeholders to discuss the effectiveness of BCPs, how they work now and how to approach their future operability. We have a lot of feedback and information from stakeholders on this issue as part of tracking its progress, and are meeting with organisations such as the National Farmers’ Union that have a specific interest in live exports.
On enforcement, the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, asked about local authorities. Due to the robust pre-export controls and regulatory tools that will be in place, we anticipate very low offending rates. We have been working closely with local authorities to develop the right approach, and they agreed that enforcement action in relation to a live exports ban would have minimal impact on their finances.
The noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, also asked about the capacity of abattoirs. As she rightly said, there have been no livestock exports for slaughter or fattening from Great Britain to the EU since the beginning of 2021. Prior to this, the number of animals exported for slaughter represented a very small proportion of the total number of animals processed in the UK every year. For example, in 2020, when we had issues with Covid and it stopped, slaughter exports from Great Britain to the EU accounted for less than 0.2% of sheep produced in the UK and around 0.02% of all livestock slaughtered in the UK. Slaughterhouse capacity has been able to absorb the additional supply of animals that may have previously been exported for slaughter, so we do not believe that any further steps are needed to ensure capacity.
The noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, also asked about advice. Obviously, it is important that livestock exporters are made aware of any new requirements, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency will contact all authorised transporters to inform them of the new requirements before they are due to come into force. We are also engaging with the relevant stakeholder organisations.
I was asked—again, it might well have been by the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, who asked quite a few questions—about who is responsible for the hold notice. The transporter, or person responsible, has to comply. If they fail to do so, APHA can arrange for livestock to be returned to the place of departure or placed in suitable accommodation.
The noble Lord, Lord Trees, asked whether we would consider extending a live export ban to the whole of the UK, and other noble Lords asked about Northern Ireland. The live export ban does not apply to Northern Ireland. This is to ensure that farmers in Northern Ireland have unfettered access to both the UK and Republic of Ireland markets. Farmers in
Northern Ireland routinely move animals to the Republic of Ireland for slaughter and fattening. I reassure noble Lords that I meet regularly with DAERA, and I have met the Ulster Farmers’ Union a couple of times, so we are very aware of the different pressures on transporting livestock in Northern Ireland and into the Republic.
The noble Lord, Lord Trees, and the noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, asked about the importance of improving transportation of animals within the country—not going beyond. We need to monitor that very carefully, because animal welfare during any transport is obviously incredibly important. As a Government, we have said that we are committed to improving animal welfare. That is one reason why we are bringing in these regulations very early; we think it is important. At the moment, I am reviewing the animal welfare strategy more broadly and I hope to capture issues such as this within that broader strategy review.
The noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, asked why records have to be kept for three years. The reason is that this is consistent with existing laws: at the moment, journey logs are required to be retained for three years.
The noble Lord, Lord Elliott, asked about the detail of assessment criteria. The assessment criteria have been developed and agreed with Defra, using the national associations’ knowledge of legitimate priming and breeding exports. This includes checking the pedigree status of animals as well as certain health requirements, such as sheep coming from an accredited scrapie-free flock. We do not intend to publish the assessment criteria, but guidance will be provided to journey organisers and transporters.
The noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, asked for clarification about whether the ban is in force and how it works with this SI. The ban is already in force. The SI is just to enable the enforcement of the ban that came in previously, as she pointed out.
The noble Baroness, Lady Rawlings, asked about EU rules applying in GB. They do not apply. We have assimilated regulations and continue to protect animals in transport.
Finally, I thank the noble Earl, Lord Effingham, for his very kind words of support. It is important to recognise that the previous Government brought this legislation in. We strongly supported it and it is good to be working cross-party to ensure that it is now enforced effectively. We are committed to upholding the highest standards when it comes to animal welfare, and I am very pleased that we can now put forward these provisions to ensure that the ban on live exports for slaughter is implemented and enforced effectively.