Written question WQ85296
- Asked by
- Altaf HussainConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What is the Welsh Government's position on the operation of canine fertility clinics, and what steps are being taken to regulate unlicensed practices and shutdown any practices that operate illegally?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Those who perform acts of veterinary surgery without qualified veterinary involvement, as required under the Veterinary Surgeons Act, are operating outside the law and should be stopped. We support the concerns raised by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) relating to the operation of illegal canine fertility clinics.
While matters relating to both professional regulation and the criminal law are reserved for the UK Government, the BVA’s reporting mechanism in Wales operates through the Wales Animal Licensing Unit at the Welsh Government-funded Local Authority Enforcement Project. I strongly encourage anyone with concerns relating to illegal canine fertility clinics in Wales to report the matter using the link provided via the BVA website.