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65/02

14 February 2002

 

HORSE PASSPORTS AND DATABASE

All horses and ponies in England and Wales are to be given a unique registration number and a "passport" for life, Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael announced today.

By 31 December, 2003, all horses, ponies and donkeys will need to have a passport, bringing the country into line with European legislation. The Government is also in discussion with the equine industry on setting up a central database on horses which could be used for disease control.

The Government has looked for the most cost-effective way of meeting this legal requirement and to find the best way of keeping bureaucracy to a minimum. This will be achieved by working with the horse industry, within which many organisations already have a register and issue passports. By working with those organisations, the need to create a new bureaucracy has been avoided, and horse users will benefit from a fully integrated system.

In a Written Answer to Tony Cunningham MP (Workington), Mr Michael said:

"We have carefully considered the responses to the consultation exercise carried out on the implementation of Commission Decision 2000/68. Taking account of these views and the need to comply with the terms of the Decision the Government has decided that by 31 December 2003 all horses and ponies must have passports. The Government also intends to introduce a unique identification number for all horses and ponies.

"Owners and keepers of horses and ponies which are not currently registered will be required to register these animals with one of the appropriate approved equine organisations. The owners of these animals and the owners of registered horses and ponies which currently do not have passports, will be required to obtain passports from the approved organisations. We will require that owners of horses and ponies which currently have passports be issued with the new extended passport containing details of veterinary medicines administered.

"Discussions are now taking place with industry organisations about detailed implementation arrangements.

"The Government also considers that it is vital to establish a central database of basic information on horses which could be used for disease control and other purposes and will establish the necessary arrangements following discussion with the Horse Industry in order to achieve this end with a minimum of bureaucracy and at minimum cost".

 


Notes for editors

1. Commission Decision 93/623 required voluntarily registered horses, born on or after 1 January 1998, to be accompanied when moved by a "passport". The measures were designed to simplify trade in pure-bred horses. Passports are issued by the private sector.

2. Registered horses (mainly pedigree and including racehorses) are registered with breed societies or international societies that manage horses for competition or racing.

3. Decision 2000/68/EC amended Commission Decision 93/623/EC to ensure that horses treated with certain veterinary medicines do not enter the human food chain. The Decision requires all horses (except those specially reared for slaughter and consumption) to have a passport recording the veterinary medicines administered, if the horse is ultimately intended for human consumption. Registered horses which already have passports would need an additional section recording veterinary medicines administered. The horse would retain its original registration number for life, and this number has to be recorded in the passport.

4. During last year's consultation process the additional following points were made in favour of requiring passports for all horses: the requirement may lessen the incentive to keep poor quality horses in poor quality condition; it could help cut the over-breeding of ponies in areas such as the Brecon Beacons, New Forest and Dartmoor; and having all horses registered would help the equine industry use the breeding data to improve the quality of the British herd, bringing it more into line with countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and France. The proposal has the support of the equine industry as represented by the British Horse Industry Confederation (BHIC). The BHIC was set up to represent the views of the equine industry to government.

5. Copies of responses have been placed in the DEFRA Departmental Library, 10 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH.

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