1. How many welfare complaints did you receive in relation to the following:
a. On-farm animal welfare;
b. Welfare at markets; and,
c. Welfare during transport?
We can confirm the following totals, which relate to the Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service. All of the following answers also relate to the same Service :
a: 179
b: 28
c: 177
2. How many welfare complaints did you investigate in relation to the following:
a. On-farm animal welfare;
b. Welfare at markets; and,
c. Welfare during transport?
We can confirm the following totals:
a. 162
b. 27
c. 160
3. How many prosecution proceedings did you commence for offences named in the Animal Welfare Act 2006? Of those proceedings, how many resulted in a successful prosecution?
6 Prosecutions were commenced, resulting in 6 Convictions. We should clarify that these figures relate to defendants, some of whom were prosecuted for multiple offences.
4. How many improvement notices did you serve under section 10 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for failures to comply with section 9(1) of that Act?
Nil. Officers provide advice by means of a Visit Report Form.
5. How many prosecution proceedings did you commence for offences named in Section 7 of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007? Of those proceedings, how many resulted in a successful prosecution?
4 Prosecutions commenced, resulting in 4 Convictions . We should clarify that these figures relate to defendants, some of whom were prosecuted for multiple offences.
6. How many compliance notices were issued by your inspectors for failures to comply with the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006?
Four. Officers will also provide written advice by means of a Visit Report Form.
7. How many prosecution proceedings did you commence for offences named in the Welfare of Animals at Markets Order 1990? Of those proceedings, how many resulted in a successful prosecution?
Nil
8. How many individuals subject to any of the above enforcement action had previously committed an animal welfare offence?
We do not hold that information.
9. How many people do you employ to carry out farm animal welfare inspections as part of their duties?
We have 73 officers authorised under the legislation. Of these, excluding managerial posts, 25 are allocated to the Business Support and Innovation Team, which is responsible for on farm inspections along with a range of other duties.
How many farm animal welfare inspections did they complete?
Whilst the details we have provided above relate to the current structure in place, we can confirm that under a different structure and whilst they were the responsibility of the Trading Standards Service , from April 2018 to End March 2019, 172 farm animal inspections were conducted.
10. How many people do you employ to carry out enforcement of the Animal Health Act 1981 as part of their duties?
Please see the information we have provided in response to question 9 above.
11. Please may you also send me a Schedule of Documents (aka a List of Information) held relating to farm animal welfare law enforcement activity in 2018. I would like to receive this in Excel format. I am seeking simply a list of documents held about the requested topic area.
Please see the list set out in the schedule available via the link below: