Animals: Electronic Tagging

Bill Wiggin
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2008, Official Report, column 1075W, on animals: electronic tagging, when he expects the proposed Exemption Order under the Veterinary Surgeons Act in relation to permitting lay persons and non-veterinarians to wing and web tag non-farmed birds for conservation purposes to be in force; whether the exemption order has been drafted; whether he has consulted the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on the exemption order; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy
The Exemption Order is in preparation and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons will shortly be consulted. We anticipate that the Exemption Order will come into force in spring 2009.