From June 2017 as a result of general election, there is a new face at DEFRA, the Ministry with responsibilities for live animal exports from the UK as well as for other animal welfare issues.
DEFRA = Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/
DEFRA is a government Ministry which forms part of the UK government headed by Theresa May MP – the current Prime Minister.
All of the current Ministers and management team at DEFRA can be seen by accessing the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Secretary of State – Minister Michael Gove email Michael.gove.mp@parliament.uk
DEFRA is headed by Secretary of State Minister Michael Gove, supported by a team of Ministers. The Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP was appointed as Secretary of State in June 2017.
Michael Gove is Surrey Heath Constituency Member of Parliament elected in 2005
His website can be seen at: www.michaelgove.com/Parliamentary Under Secretary’s of State for farming, food and marine environment:
George Eustice confirmed as DEFRA minister – October 2013.
Conservative MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle
His website can be seen at : -https/.gov.uk/government/people/george-eustice
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Mr. Eustice is responsible for farming and food, marine and fisheries, and animal health, within DEFRA
And
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Mz Therese Coffey………appointed July 2016
Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal
Her Webb site can be seen at: -
www.theresecoffey.co.uk
In this position their responsibilities include:
Farming and food
Common Agricultural Policy
Single Payments Scheme and the Rural Payments Agency
Food policy, trade and exports
Better regulation
Climate change mitigation in the agriculture sector
Gang masters’ licensing and agricultural workers
Rural Development Programme for England
Deputising for the Secretary of State at EU Agriculture Council
Marine and fisheries
Fisheries, including Common Fisheries Policy
Marine environment (including Marine and Coastal Access Act implementation and Marine Management Organisation)
Deputising for the Secretary of State at EU Fisheries Council
Animal health
Management of endemic and exotic diseases (including bovine TB)
Animal Health and Welfare Board for England
Welfare of farm animals
Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Veterinary Medicines Directorate
Commons handling of Lords portfolio
Biodiversity (domestic and international, including international forestry)
Land management and soil (including commons and contaminated land)
National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty
Ecosystem services
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Wildlife management
Welfare of companion and wild animals (including circuses, dangerous dogs and zoos)
Contact either Elizabeth Truss MP or George Eustice MP in writing at:
The House of Commons:
The Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP Or George Eustice MP - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for farming, food and marine environment
Contact address – House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
DEFRA:
If you are neither a constituent of Elizabeth or George, but you do wish to contact them about live animal exports from the UK, you can write to them at:
DEFRA, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR.
As an alternative, you could contact your own MP and ask them to make representations to them on your behalf.
APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency)
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency working on behalf of Defra, the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. The agency was formed on 1 October 2014, following the merger of Animal Health (AH) and the Plant Health Agency (PHA).
Their claimed roles are to safeguard animal health and welfare as well as public health, protect the economy and enhance food security through research, surveillance and inspection.
APHA claims to work to prevent and control animal disease across Great Britain through activities on farms, at markets and other livestock-related premises. KAALE have concerns regarding animal disease control as live animal export consignments are often not even inspected at UK ports when being taken to mainland Europe. KAALE consider this policy of APHA inspecting just a few transporter trucks out of a larger consignment is detrimental to animal welfare and certainly does not act to enforce biosecurity disease spread into Europe.
KAALE consider that EVERY livestock transporter taking live animals from the UK into mainland Europe must be fully inspected to ensure animals in transport are disease free. Through our monitoring of Kent ports used for animal export, and our resultant monitoring of APHA personnel and inspections, we have very little faith in the system and the claimed roles of ‘safeguarding animal health’.
Contacting Animal Health
Animal Health has many regional offices across the UK.
The following interactive map can be used to find regional offices.
http://animalhealth.defra.gov.uk/about/contact-us/officemap.html
Animal Health Offices operate a 24 hour telephone service for emergencies; the local contact number will be available from answer machines out of office hours.
A block listing of all Animal Health contacts are provided below.
centralops.carlisle@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, LiveAnimalExports.Carlisle@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, MeatandDairyProducts.Carlisle@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, WIT@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, cattleexportscarlisle@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.southeast@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk,
ah.reading@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.eastofengland@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk,
ah.southwest@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.westmidlands@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.eastmidlands@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.northwest@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.yorksandhumber@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.newcastle@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.southwales@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk, ah.northwales@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk,
AHVLA Welfare in Transport (WIT)
The AHVLA Welfare in Transport (WIT) team are located at the Specialist Service Centre for Exports in Carlisle, even though all live animal exports go from Kent ports located at the opposite end of the country. WIT is responsible for processing applications for transporter authorisations within Great Britain.
Their contact details are:
Welfare in Transport Team
Animal Health
Hadrian House
Wavell Drive
Rosehill Industrial Estate
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA1 2TB
Tel: 01228 403600 (Option 8)
Tel: 0845 603 8395 (Helpline)
Fax: 01228 591900
Email: wit@animalhealth.gsi.gov.ukDisclaimer: The views expressed on this Website do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher/editor. No responsibility can be taken for the accuracy of statements made by contributors or material provided for publication
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