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1,962 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRural EconomyI start by congratulating the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans on securing what has been an excellent debate. In the short time I have allocated, I shall do my very…19 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareWe will of course continue to support the vital work of the veterinary profession, and I acknowledge the veterinary workforce’s commitment and dedication to animal health and…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareMy Lords, the Government have committed to support a Private Member’s Bill, introduced by the Conservative Member of Parliament, Aphra Brandreth, which looks to introduce new…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on his new job. The Government will end puppy smuggling, address puppy farming by tackling low-welfare dog breeding practices and consider…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareMy Lords, our animal activities licensing regulations have been developed to prevent poor dog breeding practices rather than penalise them. Local authorities can refuse, vary or…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareMy Lords, the licensing of activities involving animal regulations requires anyone in the business of breeding and selling cats to have a licence, and they must meet statutory…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareThe noble Baroness makes a very good point. We are aware that there are some digital challenges within the department, and we are looking at that very carefully.16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareDefra’s code of practice for the welfare of dogs supports positive reward training techniques for dogs, but electronic shock collars should be avoided. Furthermore, the code…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareThe noble Baroness makes a good point. On puppy smuggling, we have made a clear commitment to end puppy farming. We are also supporting a Private Member’s Bill in the other place…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareI can completely reassure the noble Baroness that we are working very closely on a cross-departmental basis on any issues that cover more than one department’s interests. I am…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareOngoing attacks show that we need to do more to protect the public from dangerous dogs. There has of course been a ban on XL bullies, which has been updated recently. That is…16 Dec 2024HANSARDDomestic Animals: WelfareClearly, dog fighting should not be taking place in this country. We are extremely keen to root it out where it is happening, and it is matter for Defra and the Home Office to…16 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkAs I said, 85% of turkeys that are expected for the Christmas dinner table have already been slaughtered and are available either fresh or frozen, so I do not see that that will…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkWe are very aware of the impacts on farmers and the issues around restricted zones. With the weather changing and us now moving into winter, and with this being a…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkMy Lords, following the detection of avian influenza in England, Defra has stood up its well-established response to control and eradicate disease. This has included humane…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkAs I said, insurance is a difficult issue. It becomes difficult in many areas—I am sure noble Lords are aware of the difficulties for businesses during flooding as well. Getting…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkFirst, the compensation scheme that we are looking at is the same as previously, in that poultry owners will be compensated for the value of the birds if they were healthy at the…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkClearly, it is really important that we work closely with our European neighbours. The incidences of avian flu are currently not what we have seen in previous years, but we must…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkThe noble Lord asks an important question. I met APHA yesterday to discuss exactly this issue because, when there are outbreaks of more than one disease, it has to look at how it…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAvian Flu: Turkeys in NorfolkAs I mentioned, this outbreak is very low compared to previous years, and we have brought in preventive measures to ensure that it does not become a major problem, as we had a few…12 Dec 2024