Consultation on the implementation of revised EU rules on Equine Identification in Scotland

Part 1 - About this Consultation

Topic of this consultation

This consultation is seeking views on new proposals regarding the identification of equidae ^[1] in Scotland.

Objective of this consultation

Commission Regulation ( EU) 2015/262 ^[2] was adopted on 11 September 2014 and came into effect throughout all European Member States on 1 January 2016. The identification rules will be implemented in Scotland through new domestic regulations in line with Commission Regulation ( EU) 2015/262.

Geographical extent

Equine Identification is a devolved matter and this consultation applies only to Scotland. Implementation of the regulation in other parts of the UK will take place in due course. The appropriate administration should be approached for further information.

Audience

Anyone may reply to this consultation. The Scottish Government would particularly like to hear from Scottish Horse Passport Issuing Organisations; the equine sector in Scotland, individuals and organisations, welfare organisations and Scottish Local Authorities.

Body responsible for this consultation

The Scottish Government’s Animal Health and Welfare Division - Equine Identification Team is responsible for this consultation.

Duration

This consultation starts on 22 August 2016 and closes on 3 October 2016. This consultation is for 6 weeks to allow the domestic legislation to come into force early 2017.

How to make an enquiry

Please contact Scottish Government Animal Health and Welfare Division (Equine Identification Team) if you have any queries: Tel 0300 244 9246; email HorseID@gov.scot

Responding to this consultation paper

We are inviting responses to this consultation paper by 3 October 2016.

Please respond to this consultation using the Scottish Government’s consultation platform, Citizen Space. You view and respond to this consultation online here. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date of 3 October 2016.

We recommend that you fully consider this Consultation Document and all the questions before sitting down to complete the on line survey.

Alternatively, you may use the Consultation Questionnaire Word document supplied to provide your response electronically by sending it, along with your completed Respondent Information Form (RIF) (see "Handling your Response" below) to: HorseID@gov.scot

Handwritten responses will be accepted, although the previous methods are preferable. Again, you should use the Consultation Questionnaire provided as this will aid our analysis of the responses received. Please send your response, along with your completed RIF to:

Horse Identification Consultation

Scottish Government
Equine Identification Team
Animal Health & Welfare Division
P Spur
Saughton House
Broomhouse Drive
Edinburgh
EH11 3XD

Please note that responses not using either the online Citizen Space survey or the Consultation Questionnaire Word document provided might not be considered in the analysis of this consultation.

Handling your response

If you respond using Citizen Space, you will be directed to the RIF. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to published.

If you are unable to respond via Citizen Space, please complete and return the RIF included in this document. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the

provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore

have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to

responses made to this consultation exercise.

Next steps in the process

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at Consult.Scotland.gov.uk.

If you use Citizen Space to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so.

Comments and complaints

An opportunity to provide comments on your experience of the consultation is provided as part of the consultation questions. Alternatively you may also send any comments that you may have about how this consultation exercise has been conducted to the contact details in the ‘Responding to this consultation’ section.

Scottish Government consultation process

Consultation is an essential part of the policy-making process. It gives us the opportunity to consider your opinion and expertise on a proposed area of work.

You can find all our consultations online here. Each consultation details the issues under consideration, as well as a way for you to give us your views, either online, by email or by post.

Consultations may involve seeking views in a number of different ways, such as public meetings, focus groups, or other online methods such as Dialogue.

Responses will be analysed and used as part of the decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. We will publish a report of this analysis for every consultation. Depending on the nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may:

• indicate the need for policy development or review
• inform the development of a particular policy
• help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals
• be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented

While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body.