Licensing Committee

20 September 2018

Is this the final decision on the recommendations?

Yes

 

CHANGES TO ANIMAL LICENSING LEGISLATION

 

Final Decision-Maker

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

Lead Head of Service

John Littlemore, Head of Housing & Communities

Lead Officer and Report Author

Martyn Jeynes, Community Protection Manager

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

 

Executive Summary

On the 1 October 2018 a new statutory instrument (2018 No.486) comes into force, namely The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

 

This new legislation introduces an updated licensing framework in England for five activities involving animals;

·         selling animals as pets

·         providing for or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs

·         hiring out horses

·         dog breeding and keeping or training animals for exhibition 

 

DEFRA has provided extensive guidance for licensees and regulators that will ultimately lead to improvements in animal welfare and protect consumers.  As detailed in the body of the reports the most significant changes are:

·         Standardised and improved minimal animal welfare standards

·         a broader scope to capture licensable activities, not just establishments

·         a risk rating assessment that determines length of licence periods, rewarding the better establishments

·         Improved enforcement powers to ensure compliance

·         Guidance on setting appropriate fees to resource the new requirements

·         A requirements to train our Inspectors to a new national standard by 2021

The introduction of the legislation and the guidance has triggered a national need to revise processes and fee structures.  This report guides members through the changes, advises on the steps being taken to resource the new regime including the need for a new fee structure, brought to committee for their ratification.

 

 

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

·         To note the changes required by The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018

·         To agree the associated fee structure, produced in accordance with the guidance provided by DEFRA effective from 1 October 2018.

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Licensing Committee

20 September 2018



CHANGES TO ANIMAL LICENSING LEGISLATION

 

1.        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

Animal Licensing - the current picture in Maidstone

 

1.1     Maidstone Borough Council is responsible for functions in relation to the licensing and regulation of various animal-related activities. The Community Protection Team’s Animal Welfare specialist(s) carry out these functions on the Council’s behalf in partnership with the Licensing Partnership who administer part of the animal licencing process. 

 

1.2     The current role of the appropriate CPT Officer is to:

 

·           undertake inspections or, where appropriate, coordinate veterinary inspections for riding establishments (DEFRA Appointed) or for first inspections of new establishments

·           generate or review a vet inspection report against appropriate establishment conditions

·           amend licence conditions to protect, improve, promote animal welfare

·           authorise the licence to be issued or an annual renewal

·           investigate and enforce the breaches of conditions/licences

 

1.3     The various Animal Licensing functions are currently regulated under different pieces of legislation. The table below sets out the activities regulated and the legislation under which the Council currently licenses people to carry out relevant licensed activities:

 

Regulated Activity

Legislation

Keeping a boarding establishment for cats or dogs (kennels, catteries)

Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963

Keeping a riding establishment Riding Establishments Act 1964

Riding Establishments Act 1970

Keeping a breeding establishment for dogs

Breeding of Dogs Act 1973

Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999

Keeping a pet shop

Pet Animals Act 1951

Exhibit or train any performing animal

Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925

Keeping a Dangerous Wild Animal

Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976

Operating a Zoo

Zoo Licensing Act 1981

 

 

1.4     Maidstone Borough currently has Animal licences issued as follows:

 

 

·      Boarding Kennels      9

·      Boarding Cattery                10

 

·      Pet shops                  4

·      Breeding establishments    3

 

·      Riding est                  6

·      Zoo                           0

·      Dangerous Wild Act            1 (a Zebra)

 

 

1.5     Current legislation requires the local authority to register performing animals.  This can vary due to activity in the borough, such as the filming at the T.V. Studios and we currently have 5 performing animals registered.

 

1.6     Four of the above Acts govern licensable activities involving companion animals but the existing laws covering the licensing of these activities, are outdated and have proven difficult to adapt to the changing types of animal-related businesses, such as online sales, and to new standards of good practice in animal welfare. Moreover, the current application, inspection and enforcement process is complex and burdensome for both businesses and local authorities. For instance, primary legislation limits licences to a calendar-year framework, arbitrarily focussing inspections at the end of the year, and forcing some businesses with multiple functions to have as many as three separate licences.

 

1.7     There are also specific concerns about certain types of activity where there is uncertainty over their scope and are therefore unenforceable. Online sales of pets have increased dramatically over the last decade, particularly through social media. As these “businesses” do not fall clearly within the definition of pet shop, regulation of such businesses by local authorities cannot protect the animals involved. There are also concerns around ‘backstreet dog breeders’ (i.e. small-scale dog breeders who breed dogs in poor welfare conditions for profit), who under current legislation can breed up to four litters per year without requiring a licence unless they are a business, which is difficult to prove.  

 

1.8     Also, many businesses under the existing legislation consistently achieve high welfare standards and good performance. Some of these businesses are also members of the UK Accreditation Service’s (“UKAS”) accredited schemes, which can ensure that they meet a higher standard of animal welfare than the current legal minimums. These businesses are currently licensed annually by the relevant local authority, and are charged the same fee as all other establishments. There is a concern that this is overly burdensome for both these high performing businesses and local authorities, and was suggested that a system of earned recognition could be more efficient, fair and help to promote higher welfare standards.

 

Improving Animal Establishment Licensing

 

1.9     In December 2015, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) launched a consultation on some proposals to introduce new secondary legislation under section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act to implement a single “Animal Establishment Licence” for animal boarding establishments, pet shops, riding establishments and dog breeding establishments.

 

1.10 In February 2017, DEFRA published a further document entitled “The review of animal establishments licensing in England – Next Steps.” This set out a summary of the decisions made by DEFRA about changes to the licensing system for animal establishments in England following the consultation exercise. A link to the “Next Steps” document can be found in the background documents section of this report.

 

1.11 The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were made on 16 April 2018 and are scheduled to come into force on 1 October 2018. A copy of the regulations has been included as Appendix 1.

 

1.12 Under the regulations the existing licensing schemes for animal boarding establishments, pet shops, riding establishments and dog breeders will be repealed as the new Act comes into place and replaced by a new single licensing scheme that will regulate all of these activities and will also incorporate the licensing of those who train or exhibit performing animals. This new statute requires that all businesses undertaking these activities meet the same, up-to-date, minimum welfare standards. Businesses will have to be licensed and will have to meet these minimum standards to hold and retain a licence.

 

1.13 The Act will also incorporate “earned recognition” into the licensing system. Local authorities will be able to issue licences of 1, 2 or 3 years, with the longer licences going to high performing, low risk businesses. This will result in lower licence fees and fewer inspections for high performing businesses, reducing the burden on them. It will also incentivise other businesses to perform at higher levels which will help to drive up animal welfare standards and target local authority resources to those premises struggling to meet minimum standards

 

1.14 Some of the other main differences in the new licensing scheme will be:

·        Animal Licences will be for animal activities and not just establishments to capture modern animal activities such as online sales

·        A licence will be able to authorise more than one activity (for example animal boarding and dog breeding activities will be able to be authorised by the same licence)

·        Standardised licence conditions are prescribed by the regulations rather than each authority deciding its own licence standard conditions for its area, which can result in a post code lottery of standards

·        There are new powers for licensing authorities to vary, suspend and revoke licences where there is non-compliance or it is necessary to protect the welfare of an animal

·        The number of litters a dog breeder can produce in a 12 month period before they are presumed to require a licence will be reduced from five litters to three with increased regulation around the sale of puppies

·        Performing animals will also now be included in a light touch licensing scheme, in which the licence will be granted for 3 years following a satisfactory inspection. This system will also include animals that are being exhibited but not necessarily performing. 


 

1.15 Licences issued under the existing legislative provisions remain in force on 1 October 2018 and will continue to have effect until they expire. At that point an application will need to be made by the operator for a licence under the new licensing scheme and these licences will transition (not new or renewal).   

 

1.16 The current licensing schemes for zoos and those who keep dangerous wild animals are not affected by the regulations and will continue to be carried out under the existing legislative provisions.

 

Guidance Provided by DEFRA

 

1.17 In August 2018 DEFRA provided guidance (included in background documents) in relation to the new Act. A month after it was anticipated. 

 

1.18 The Guidance and associated training has provided a far more prescriptive description than currently of what is required from the local authorities under the scheme, but the lateness of the guidance has created some challenges. 

 

1.19 The new comprehensive guidance includes specific guidance in relation to the model conditions, for a broader range of licensable animal activities which are now in scope, to ensure a better quality of animal welfare in each area.  The guidance also provides a framework for the introduction of a new risk matrix which will allow licences to be issued for up to 3 years where the standard of the establishment is assessed to be high and therefore the need for regulation is low.  Therefore the cost of their licence can be spread over the length of the licence.

 

1.20 The guidance also provides specific guidance on the licensing of three modern areas of animal activity which will need to be introduced/updated in Maidstone:

·      Home boarding

·      Canine or Doggy Day Care (Dog Crèche)

·      The selling of animals (not specifically in pet shop)

 

1.21  The Community Protection Team have been working towards introducing regulation of these animal activities since January 2018, engaging with businesses that we felt would soon be within the scope of the legislation.  However the extent of what is considered in scope, according to the guidance, is much broader than anticipated and has required a significant number of changes in the last month resulting in an additional workload for the team.

 

1.22 The guidance also introduces a requirement that by 2021 our inspector(s) are qualified to Level 3 in Inspecting Licensable Activities involving Animals. Our officer has over 1 year’s animal licensing experience and will be able to continue to inspect until they are able to gain the relevant qualification.  Louise Duke, who has led on Animal Welfare and Licensing matters for the last 12 months will be designated an Inspector in accordance with the Act. 


 

2.        Implementation plan and proposed fee structure

 

Implementation Plan

 

2.1     The delayed release of the Statutory Guidance by DEFRA has meant we had to put a number of planned work areas on hold. We are now able to finalise and complete a number of pieces of work in preparation for the implementation:

·           The Licensing Partnership is drafting application forms and guidance notes for applicants to provide consistency across the partnership

·           We have advised existing licence holders of the forthcoming changes

·           We are updating the content for the Council’s website

·           Officers are attending training sessions on the new licensing scheme

·           The Kent Animal Welfare officers group (a CIEH Subgroup) are meeting to share best practice and consistency in introducing the new scheme across the county

·           We will be working with the Communication to ensure maximum awareness of the new scheme for businesses and consumers

2.2     We are also working towards introducing the new risk assessment matrix from October and officers are be attending relevant training sessions to build their competence in assessing using the new Welfare/Risk Scoring matrix. 

 

2.3     The length of the licence period determined by the scoring matrix and therefore there is potentially a financial penalty for those businesses who do not meet the standards they hoped they would achieve. The guidance provided is particularly prescriptive in this regard and does provide specific criteria that must be met to achieve the higher standards ratings and avoid high risk procedures/activities. The legislation also provides for an appeal process should a business feel that they were not scored appropriately. 

 

Anticipated increase in licences and the resourcing

 

2.4     The guidance has identified a number of areas of where we anticipate the new regulations will lead to an increase in the need to provide licences.  An increase in the scope of the legislation is predicted to lead to increased applications.

 

2.5     Enquiries from interested parties and investigations on social media and the internet have enabled us to predict the following increases to the current licenses:

·      20+ Home boarding licences/ doggy day care licences (Dog Crèche)

·      up to 15 Performing Animal Licences (Previously dealt with as registrations) which may include 3-4 pony party places where the ponies are not ridden but are displayed etc. 

·      10-15 more Breeding licences as breeders are going to need a licence number in order to advertise sell puppies for sale

·      2-3 selling of animal licences for online traders. 

2.6     We anticipate our total Animal Licences will grow from 33 to somewhere in the region of 70 licences.  We estimate this could generate an income of between £20,000 to £30,000 per annum, subject to how many 2 or 3 year licences are issued.  The proposed rates and the income generated will cover the increase service costs as we are not allowed to use the regime to generate an income.

 

2.7     Also contained within the regulations are improved enforcement powers in relation to those licenced activities where standards are not being met or where a licensable activity is being undertaken illegally.  This includes improved powers of entry which were not included in the current legislation leaving it relatively toothless.

 

2.8     We anticipate that the impact in the number of licences will increase the staffing requirement from approximately 0.2 F.T.E to approximately 0.25-0.33 F.T.E. This is work in addition to managing our stray dog arrangements, general animal welfare and nuisance animal issues, including Dangerous Dogs.  As a result of these changes it is likely that work outside these areas (general nuisance, pest control, etc.) will be distributed to other members of the team.  The impact of this will be monitored. 

 

2.9     With the introduction of such extensive changes we feel that it will take between one to two years the new regime to stabilise.  We do anticipate a significant level of interest and new applications from 1st October through to December due to the expiration period for existing licences and new businesses that will fall into the broader scope.  This will be monitored closely to ensure resources are available to process the applications.

 

2.10 The Community Protection Team experiences seasonal increases for nuisance and other anti-social behaviour cases, particularly over the warmer months and with the team recently filling its vacancies we are confident that we will be able to deliver the new regime in line although we will have to temporarily adjust service priorities.

 

Proposed fee structure

 

2.11 The new guidance also provides further clarification in relation to fees charged for the licences covered by the new regulations.  The guidance clarifies how the licence fee should be calculated.  The current licence fees for the current activities are:

 

Licensable Activity

Current Fee range

Boarding Kennels

£360-£450

Boarding Cattery

£185-£305

Pet shops

£420

Riding establishments  

£320-£435

Breeding establishments 

£295-£550

Performing animals

£170 (Registration)


 

 

2.12 The new guidance has provided greater clarity on how licensing fees should be set.  The guidance provided is such that we are now in a position where we have to revise all the fees offered to comply with the guidance.  Again the delay in providing the guidance has meant that we have not been able to consult with existing licence holders.  Since publication of the guidance and attending relevant training an extensive piece of work has been undertaken to generate licensing fees meet the strict requirements of the new guidance and cover the increased costs associated with the new regime. 

 

2.13 The fundamental difference is a recommendation that fees should be structured to reflect successful and unsuccessful applications.  The fee structure is therefore broken down into two parts:

 

·           Part A Costs – Application Phase (for all applications)

-  Administration Process (Liaison with customers, checking and enter application on system, Managerial oversight)

-  Financial process (Collection of fees)

-  Inspectors Input (review applications, arrange Vet visits (as appropriate), initial inspection with vet (inc travel), review licence detail/conditions,

-  CPT Managerial Oversight (Review reports, assist with decisions, strategic overview and appeals)

-  Miscellaneous costs (spread across all licences) – Officer training, website maintenance, general advice, equipment inc vehicle costs,  fee setting and committee matters

-  Return of statistics to DEFRA

 

·           Part B Costs – Licensed phase (only for successful applications)

-  Enforcement of unlicensed activities and enforcement/investigation of complaints at licensed establishments

-  Additional costs for other services e.g. vet required to attend premises for complaint investigation

-  An unannounced visit required per licence, spread over the period of the licence

 

2.14 After existing licences have transitioned to the new scheme, licensees will be offered the opportunity to renew their licence by written invitation, 3 months prior to expiration but must apply at least 10 weeks before their current licence expires to avoid a break in their licensable activities.  Due to reduce administration costs and continuation of services licensees renewing their licence will be offered a renewal fee and avoid additional vets fees where they are not required by regulation.  

 

 

 

2.15 The regulations require that Riding Schools are inspected by a DEFRA appointed veterinary inspector on first application and for each of the renewals.  It is recommended best practice that for all new applications a vet inspects alongside the council appointed inspector. The fees for these inspections are billed separately to the licence and are determined by the Vet based on hourly rate and travel time. 

 

2.16 Whilst many of the administrative costs remain the same other costs, such as the time taken to inspect a premises, vary based on the type of licence and the animal involved. For example a breeding kennel with less than 5 breeding bitches would take approximately 2 ½ hours; where as a Riding Establishment with more than 11 horses could take 4 to 5 hours. Therefore the fees calculated for Part A and B are weighted (adjusted) to reflect the time needed to carry our initial and unannounced visits respectively.

 

2.17 The proposed fees (Part A and B Combined) have been calculated and are listed below. 

 

Licensing Activity

New Application (Not including vet fees)

 

Renewal

(No vet fee)

Current Fee range

Part A

Part B

Total

Part A

Part B

Total

Boarding Kennels

Up to 50 dogs

£260

£200

£460

£225

£200

£425

£360-£450

51 or more dogs

£295

£230

£525

£255

£230

£485

Boarding Cattery

Up to 50 cats

£245

£180

£425

£210

£180

£390

£185-£305

51 or more cats

£260

£200

£460

£225

£200

£425

Selling of animals 

All types

£280

£215

£495

£240

£215

£455

£420

Home boarding and day care

Up to 4

£245

£180

£425

£210

£180

£390

N/A

5 or more dogs

£260

£200

£460

£225

£200

£425

Riding establishments  

Up to 10 horses

£280

£215

£495

£240

£215

£455

£320-£435

11 or more horses

£310

£245

£555

£270

£245

£515

Performing animals

All types

£230

£165

£395

£190

£165

£355

£170*

Breeding establishments 

Up to 5 dogs

£230

£165

£395

£190

£165

£355

£295-£550

6-10 dogs

£245

£180

£425

£210

£180

£390

11+ dogs

£260

£200

£460

£225

£200

£425

 *Registration fee not a licence

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.18 Although many of the licence fees have increased in line with the new guidance on setting fees, the Scoring Matrix and variation of the licence length of up to 3 years means that those establishments that are rated the highest will be benefit over that period as demonstrated in this table.

 

 

2.19 The table above shows how business with a 5 star licence, i.e. low risk businesses with high standards, will save considerably over the length of their licence period. This should drive up standards in the industry and, in time, reduce the regulatory burdens on both businesses and the local authority.

 

2.20 Whilst we have not been able to consult on our fees, the proposed fee structure has been generated in accordance with the guidance provided, which itself was based on the responses made to the initial consultation and work undertaken by DEFRA in drafting the legislation.  Similar structures are being adopted by other Kent authorities but will vary based on each LA’s officer costs.

 

2.21 Although the initial application must be accompanied by the application fee (Part A), the licence will not be issued until the Part A, Part B and any associated Vets fees are paid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1     Option 1: Do nothing – This is not an option as the new legislation places a statutory duty on local authorities to regulate licensable animal activities. 

 

3.2  Option 2: Continue to use the existing fee structure, ignoring the new guidance. Whilst it would be feasible to continue using the existing fees, the new fees have been formulated to reflect the work required to issue a licence.  Reg 13 (2) of the Act makes statutory requirement for fees not to exceed reasonable costs of various matters set out. We would also still need to introduce new fees for activities now in scope, such as doggy day care, home boarding and the selling of animals as these do not exist in the current legislation. 

 

3.3     Option 3: Introduce the new fee structure to support the new Animal Licensing Regime. The new fees reflect the resource required to introduce an improved level of Animal Licensing.  The new structure will also encourage businesses to improve standards and reduce the regulatory burden for both them and Maidstone Borough Council.  

 

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     Option 3 is recommended in order that we are able to meet the legal requirements of the Act and to bring in revenue to cover the increased costs on the service. 

 

4.2     This legislation has been anticipated by businesses in this sector for some time and many of those that are now in scope have expressed an interest in obtaining a licence as soon as they are able.  The scoring matrix will encourage businesses to publish their stars to encourage customers, as well as allowing them to improve/sustain highest standards to reduce their regulatory burden and the associated costs. 

 

4.3     The new legislation also provides a framework and powers to tackle those that choose to operate outside the scope of the legislation, putting animals and consumers at risk.  This will have a detrimental effect on both the welfare of the animals involved but impact on the economy within this growing sector if we do not seek to regulate against those who operate outside the requirements of the legislation. 

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1     Unfortunately the delay in the statutory guidance being released has left no time for us to formally consult with our existing customers.  There is no formal requirement to undertake a consultation in regards to the fees so long as they are reflective of the cost to operate the service and not make a profit.  The requirements will be introduced, adopting the policies and procedures consulted on by DEFRA in developing the legislation and guidance. 

 

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     As detailed in 2.1, a number of activities are being undertaken by the service to ensure that the necessary processes are in place to deliver the legislation from the 1st October if possible.  The short time frame between providing the guidance and the implementation date, whilst not uncommon, does mean that a lot of work is needed in a relatively small period.  However this is the case across Kent with many authorities hosting emergency committee/cabinet meetings to ratify their decisions.

 

6.2     Part of the implementation plan includes notification of the changes to all the existing licence holders affected by the legislation.  We are also working with our communications team to ensure the public, as consumers, and other businesses are aware of the changes and what that might mean for them. 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

Securing a successful economy for all: Animals provide a great deal of enjoyment and enrich the lives of those who own or use them for leisure purposes.  This in itself generates a thriving business sector that must be regulated to ensure those businesses operate at the required standards and protect the welfare of the animals in their care.

Head of Housing & Communities

Risk Management

The guidance provided with the legislation is very prescriptive and will promote transparency with businesses in this sector.  Where there are elements of subjectivity the legislation provides routes of appeal that the council will support.  As the legislation is new it is difficult to fully predict the uptake and resources required to ensure delivery of the service.  Best practice and information sharing across Kent has helped shape this report and the implementation will be monitored closely during its first year to ensure the service is within scope and resourced appropriately. 

 

Head of Housing & Communities

Financial

It is anticipated that implementation will be resourced from within existing budgets. The fee structure has been designed to ensure that the costs associated with the new legislation are accounted for.  As detailed in the Risk Management section it is not entirely possible to predict the impact of the new legislation and the resources needed.  But the decisions made have been informed by relevant experience and sharing of best practice and will be kept under review.

 

Director of Finance and Business Improvement and Finance Team

Staffing

Officers are undertaking the relevant training to implement the new regime.  Our animal welfare specialist has been designated as an Inspector in accordance with the Act and will undergo the necessary level 3 training by 2021.  Other officers will be utilised where necessary to ensure the service is delivered and to build a level of resilience should our inspector be absent for any period.

 

Head of Housing & Communities

Legal

Legal implications for implementation of the new regime are detailed in the body of the report and the associated guidance.  The changes relate to:

·     Animal Welfare Act 2006

·     Regulations- Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals 2018

 

·     Procedural Guidance for Animal Activity Licensing 201

·     Guidance notes for Breeding Dogs 2018

·     Guidance notes for Boarding Dogs in Kennels

·     Guidance notes for Home Boarding Dogs 2018

·     Guidance notes for Dog Day Care 2018

·     Guidance notes for Boarding Cats 2018

·     Guidance notes for Selling Animals as Pets 2018

·     Guidance notes for Exhibition of Animals 2018

·     Guidance notes for Hiring out Horses 2018

These are available to view here (link)

MKIP legal service officers have attended relevant training and are aware of the practicalities associated in delivering this service.  It may be necessary to undertake enforcement work and legal services may be engaged to support this where court action is necessary. 

[Legal Team]

Equality Impact Needs Assessment

No specific issues relating to the implementation of the legislation with regard to persons of protected characteristics have been identified.

[Policy & Information Manager]

Environmental/Sustainable Development

None.

Head of Housing & Communities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Safety

As a growing sector, particularly the desire to have “designer dog breeds” it is important to ensure that consumers are protected against those who do not have the welfare of their animals and their customers in mind when conducting their business.  Illegal animal related businesses put consumers and animals at risk and we will work with partners and customers to drive down illegal businesses in this sector.

 

Head of Housing & Communities

Human Rights Act

The council must ensure that all statutory provisions are implemented in accordance with the Human Rights Act. 

 

Head of Housing & Communities

Procurement

None.

Head of Housing & Communities & Section 151 Officer]

Asset Management

None

Head of Housing & Communities

 

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·           Appendix 1: The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

·         The review of animal establishments licensing in England – Next steps (link)

·         Guidance documents for Licensing of Activities Involving Animals. (link)