DEFRA have provided a Q&A to assist and inform stakeholders in relation to the reviewed statutory guidance issued under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.  The new guidance comes into effect today (1 February) and will be updated online at midday.

The key messages from DEFRA are:

• Defra has not made any changes to the legislation. This means that the minimum welfare conditions that all operators must meet remain the same.
• All licences issued up to this date remain valid for the full licence term

What are the 2018 Regulations?

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 introduced an updated licensing system in England for specified activities involving animals: selling animals as pets, providing for or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats and dogs, hiring out horses, dog breeding and keeping or training animals for exhibition.

The supporting statutory guidance notes aim to improve consistency in interpretation and application for the licensing regime across England.

Why has Defra made changes to the guidance notes?

Defra has made changes to the guidance notes for them to meet with new gov.uk content accessibility regulations. We have also taken the opportunity to clarify original drafting errors in the guidance notes and worked with stakeholders to agree these.

Defra has not made any changes to the legislation. This means that the minimum welfare conditions that all operators must meet remain the same.

The full name of the accessibility regulations is the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. You can find more information here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps

All content published on gov.uk is required to follow the content design guidance produced by the Government Digital Service. You can find further information here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk

When are the updated guidance notes going live?

The updated guidance notes will go live on gov.uk at midday on 1^st February 2022. They should be used when assessing all grant or renewal licence applications from this date.

All licences issued up to this date remain valid for the full licence term.

Who did Defra work with on these changes?

Defra collaborated with stakeholders including the Local Government Animal Welfare Group, the Canine and Feline Sector Group, the British Horse Council and the Companion Animal Sector Council.

Why are they not pdfs?

Guidance published on gov.uk is now in a html format as standard. This makes it easier to access on mobile devices. The Government has a legal obligation to make sure people can access the information we produce.  An example of html formatted guidance is here:      https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals                                                                                                                      

Why are there no page numbers?

The html guidance can still be printed with page numbers, but these are not visible when the guidance is viewed on a screen. 

Why are the higher standards not in red or blue text?

In order to meet with accessibility requirements, gov.uk webpages do not usually use colours other than black.

Is there a change log?

Defra has not made any changes to the legislation. This means that the minimum welfare conditions that all operators must meet remain the same.

Many changes were made in the phrasing of the guidance notes in order to meet with accessibility requirements as well as improve consistency between each activity.

Due to the html format of the new guidance notes, a summary of any future changes to the guidance notes will appear in a link at the top of each webpage.

What substantial changes have been made?

Procedural Guidance

• Document restructured so that it is chronological order

Dog Day Care

• New optional higher standard for staff:dog ratio
• New optional higher standard for staff training in canine behaviour in a dog day care environment

Hiring Out Horses

• Clearer guidance on the appointment of inspectors and when a vet is required to attend an inspection (also found in Procedural Guidance)

Will Defra be making any future changes?

We are always seeking to learn from implementation and make improvements where necessary. The 2018 Regulations are due to be reviewed five years after they came into force and so this will be an appropriate time to re-examine the standards, the associated guidance and consider any changes.  The review will be published by October 2023.

As part of planning for this review, we will be working with partners, including local authorities, to collate data that can provide a picture of licensed and unlicensed activities involving animals in England. This is an ongoing project and one which will benefit from close involvement of the sector in the development of a strong evidence base. 

Who should I contact?

You can contact the Local Government Animal Welfare Group at localgovernmentanimalwelfare@gmail.com

You can also contact Defra at AnimalActivitiesLicensing@defra.gov.uk