Thursday Volume 692 22 April 2021 No. 205 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 22 April 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1119 22 APRIL 2021 1120 in sales in January and February alone, with some House of Commons products seeing their market all but collapse, and virtually nothing is being done about it. A new Brexit cliff has Thursday 22 April 2021 arrived before we finished plummeting off the last one: composite food products now need export health certificates. The chaos of the last set of regs is still haunting our The House met at half-past Nine o’clock exports, and this new chaos will further dent them. Vets say they will not have the capacity to deal with this. What plans do the Government have to address that PRAYERS clear danger? [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] George Eustice: The European Union has changed Virtual participation in proceedings commenced some of its export health certificates, particularly for (Orders, 4 June and 30 December 2020). composite goods, from 21 April. We have been working [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] very closely with industry and all those affected over the last few months. We knew that this was going to happen. We have worked with it on getting those replacement health certificates and, in some cases, the need for a Oral Answers to Questions private attestation. Yes, it is complicated. It is a change in law that the EU has made and always intended to make, but we worked very closely with industry and all those affected to make sure that they were ready. ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS Dog Thefts The Secretary of State was asked— Food and Drink Exports to the EU Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab): What discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) reducing dog thefts. [914621] (SNP): What recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of UK exports of food and Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab): What drink to the EU. [914620] discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on reducing dog thefts. [914635] The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice): The combination of The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and falling demand in the EU due to coronavirus restrictions Rural Affairs (George Eustice): I recently met the Home and the introduction of new procedures at the end of Secretary and the Lord Chancellor in March to discuss the transition period meant that exports fell significantly the important issue of pet theft. As a result of that in the first month of January. Exports of food and meeting, officials from across the three Departments drink recovered in February, increasing by 77% on the have been tasked with developing solutions that tackle previous month. While official statistics for March are this issue effectively. The work of the pet theft taskforce not yet available, we know that the number of applications has already begun, with officials drawing together available for export health certificates has continued to grow. data and evidence. Gavin Newlands [V]: Since the Government’s precious Brexit, fish exports to the EU have collapsed and the Alex Cunningham [V]: The Secretary of State, I am Government said it was teething problems; cheese exports sure, has a comprehensive understanding of this issue, collapsed and the Government blamed exporters for which causes undue distress to people and affects dogs, poor paperwork; seafood exports collapsed and the cats and all manner of other pets. This week, for example, Government said they might reclassify waters to make Cats Protection told me that cat theft is up threefold them cleaner. But nothing substantive has happened on since 2015. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the any of it. What will it take to get action from Ministers, Government will back my amendments to the Police, or do we have to wait for a text from a crony? Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which deal with pet theft and introduce tough sentences for those whose George Eustice: We have indeed taken action right actions devastate so many families? from the moment that there were teething problems in that first week of January as import agents, exporters George Eustice: We are aware that there are some and border control officials struggled to get used to the reports of a significant increase in the incidence of pet paperwork. As I pointed out, it is an improving situation. theft. A number of organisations say that reports of it The hon. Member asked about trends. The trend is a are doubling, and the official figures show a sharp rising one, increasing by 77% in February, and with increase, albeit from a relatively low base. We are looking export health certificates continuing to grow. at the issue, and that is why we established the pet theft taskforce. There is already the possibility of a maximum Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP) sentence of seven years for aggravated offences, particularly [V]: Scottish exports make up a quarter of the UK’s where there is emotional distress, which clearly there is food and drink exports.Those exports have been hammered in the case of pets. We are reviewing this particular area by Brexit, losing out on hundreds of millions of pounds of law. 1121 Oral Answers 22 APRIL 2021 Oral Answers 1122 Mr Betts [V]: I am sure the Secretary of State recognises that baby Albert the giraffe is open to view. We have that for those committing the theft it may be a financial extended the fund, for example, to include repairs and issue, but for those who have their pets stolen this is maintenance. We continue to work on the fund, but I really a loss of a valued member of their family. I give politely suggest that other Government and UK funds credit to The Star newspaper in Sheffield, which has are available to help with the important conservation highlighted a growing number of these incidents, and work done by zoos, such as the Darwin initiative and the heartbreak and anguish it causes people to lose their the green recovery challenge fund. I encourage the hon. valued pet. Will the Secretary of State accept that this is Gentleman to work with Chester zoo to look at whether a different sort of crime to the normal theft of a those would be suitable. possession, and that, as such, it needs a different, specific Neonicotinoid Alternatives offence with specific and tougher penalties enacted for those who commit it? Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD): What steps he is taking George Eustice: It is a different type of offence in that to encourage the use of alternatives to neonicotinoids there is emotional stress on the owner of the pet, but which do not harm pollinators. [914623] there can also be stress and effects on the welfare of the TheParliamentaryUnder-Secretaryof StateforEnvironment, animal. That is why, in the current sentencing guidelines, Food and Rural Affairs (Victoria Prentis): The Government the courts can take account of an aggravated offence are committed to supporting alternatives to chemical with emotional distress, and the maximum penalty could pesticides. We are currently analysing the responses to be as high as seven years. We have asked the pet theft our consultation on the national action plan. The proposed taskforce to look at this issue more closely and assemble plan supports the development of low toxicity methods the evidence to consider whether anything further is and improved advice and support for users. required. Wera Hobhouse [V]: One hundred and fifty-seven of Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con): Pet theft my Bath constituents have written to me since January is on the rise, partly because of the demand for pets to raise this issue. We must remember that we are in not through lockdown. When gangs steal a pet, they cause only a climate emergency, but a nature emergency. Given harm not only to the pet, but to the families who miss it. that the Government made an explicit pledge to keep We still do not have the five-year sentencing for animal pesticide restrictions in place after Brexit, will the Minister cruelty, which my hon. Friend the Member for West commit to giving the Office for Environmental Protection Dorset (Chris Loder) has been trying his best to get the powers and resources to hold public authorities to through. In the next Parliament, can we not only have account on environmental standards? that five-year sentencing for cruelty but link in dog theft to the legislation? Victoria Prentis: I know that the hon. Lady shares my desire that the world will be in a much better place for George Eustice: The legislation on increasing the our children, and may I congratulate her on the birth of maximum penalty for animal cruelty is nearing its her recent grandchild? The Government are therefore completion. I have a high degree of confidence that we completely committed to reducing chemical pesticide will be able to get it through before the end of the use. Protecting pollinators, for example, is a real priority Session. Indeed, we will say more about that over the for the Government. They are an essential part of the next day or so. environment and play a crucial role in food production. Coronavirus Zoo Animals Fund As I said, we are analysing the many responses—probably some of them from her constituents—to our recent Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab): What consultation and we will set out our proposals in due recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of course.