Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Great Britain-Northern Ireland Pet Travel

Thursday 21 January 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Claire Hanna asked about ensuring new regulations for pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are not overly restrictive.
  • Claire Hanna inquired about mitigations for pet owners, particularly those with assistance dogs, due to the challenges posed by the new regulations.
  • The response noted that the regulations aim to control rabies spread and that bilateral negotiations with Ireland are ongoing.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Claire Hanna Social Democratic & Labour Party Belfast South and Mid Down
Northern Ireland
Context

The question arises from the application of EU pet travel regulations due to the Northern Ireland protocol, which affects pet owners moving between regions.

Question

If he will take steps to ensure that the new regulations for Great Britain-Northern Ireland pet travel are not overly restrictive. The Northern Ireland protocol applies EU pet travel regulations, requiring documentation from Great Britain.

Answer from George Eustice

The Northern Ireland protocol under the European Union withdrawal agreement applies the EU pet travel regulations for pet movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Great Britain and Ireland have a similarly very high health status, and we are discussing possible bilateral provisions with Ireland.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to specific steps or mitigations to ensure regulations are not overly restrictive

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Q2 Claire Hanna Social Democratic & Labour Party Belfast South and Mid Down
Northern Ireland Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question stems from challenges faced by ordinary pet owners, particularly those needing assistance dogs, due to new regulations.

Question

I assume that the Secretary of State is aware of the challenges this causes for ordinary pet owners, but specifically can he advise what mitigations were anticipated and are being put in place for those who require assistance dogs to travel between Britain and Northern Ireland?

Answer from George Eustice

The primary purpose of the pet travel regulations is to control the spread of rabies. We think there should be easement on the provision, and we are arguing with the Commission that we should be listed in part 1. Bilateral negotiations with Ireland continue.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify mitigations for assistance dogs or concrete steps to ease regulations

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