Written - The introduction of legislation to ban electronic training devices

On 25 June 2008 I announced my intention, subject to consultation, to introduce legislation to ban the use of electronic training devices in Wales. Consultation on the draft legislation took place from March 4 to May 27 this year.

I have today placed a summary of the consultation responses on the Welsh Assembly Government's website. The consultation draft included provisions for exceptions to the ban under certain circumstances, such as where a collar is attached by or under the direction of a vet.  It also allowed for the temporary use of invisible electronic boundaries. Following careful consideration of the responses to the consultation and with a view to ensuring greater clarity for the purposes of enforcement I am minded to amend the proposed legislation to remove exceptions to the ban on the use of these devices, and to ban the use of invisible electronic fencing.  

Many of the respondents commented that there could be considerable difficulty in policing the exceptions. These difficulties included the length of time for which a collar was used and whether the collar had been fitted and used in accordance with the provisions.  I am persuaded by these representations and have decided to remove the exceptions from the draft.

This tightening of the proposed regulation means that we are required to re-notify the European Commission under the Technical Standards Directive (EC 98/34) of our proposals. Once the European Commission receives those proposals, the process of notification takes three months.  Assuming a favourable response from the European Commission I am minded to make the legislation which will be through the affirmative process.