Animal Welfare

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members are of the England Implementation Group looking at the animal health and welfare strategy.

Mr. Bradshaw
The membership of the England Implementation Group looking at the animal health and welfare strategy is as follows:

Helen Browning (Chair)

Richard Bennett

Tim Brigstocke

Chris Brown

Neil Cutler

Nigel Durnford

Stewart Houston

Peter Jinman

Diane McCrea

Martin Potter

Peter Scott

Dick Sibley

Sarah Wolfensohn

Further information is available on the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/eig/member.htm

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what factors were taken into account when deciding on the length of the consultation on the draft Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations and the draft Docking of Working Dogs’ Tails (England) Regulations.

Mr. Bradshaw
The length of the consultation was influenced by the need to bring the regulations into force at the same time as the Animal Welfare Act in April 2007. As this consultation does not contain any major policy changes that have not already been made public, we consider that an eight-week period is acceptable. This complies with Cabinet Office guidance.

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate how many veterinary surgeons are willing to undertake tail docking.

Mr. Bradshaw
DEFRA has made no such estimate and has no plans to do so. It is up to individual veterinary surgeons to decide whether to perform this procedure.