Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Earlier legislationE+W

These Regulations revoke and remake insofar as they apply in relation to Wales the provisions of—

(a)M1the Bovine Animals (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 1995 ;

(b)M2the Cattle Identification Regulations 1998 ;

(c)M3the Cattle Database Regulations 1998 ;

(d)M4the Cattle (Identification of Older Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2000 .

together with the amendments to those instruments.

Principal changesE+W

The principal changes are as follows.

The Regulations now allow bison to be tagged up to 9 months after birth (paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 1).

They create an offence of transferring eartags between animals (paragraph 4(5) of Schedule 1).

They no longer permit the use of temporary calf passports.

They permit electronic registration of cattle (paragraph 2(3) of Schedule 2).

They change the £50 fee for replacement passports to a fee reflecting the cost of issue (paragraph 4 of Schedule 3).

They simplify the provisions on records (Schedule 5).

The RegulationsE+W

The Regulations enforce—

Marginal Citations

M5OJ No. L204, 11.8.2000, p. 1.

M6OJ No. L60, 28.2.1998, p. 78.

M7OJ No. L 163, 30.4.2004, p. 63.

M8OJ No. L 107, 28.4.2005, p. 18.

They provide for notification of a holding to the National Assembly if cattle are kept there (regulation 3).

They make provision for eartags (regulation 4 and Schedule 1), registration of cattle (regulation 5 and Schedule 2), passports (regulation 6 and Schedule 3) and notification of movement and death (regulation 7 and Schedule 4).

They provide for records to be kept in the form specified in Schedule 5.

They provide for the enforcement of the Regulations (Part 4). They are enforced by the local authority (regulation 16).

Breach of the Regulations is an offence, punishable—

(a)

on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment not exceeding three months or to both;

(b)

on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.

A full regulatory appraisal of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the National Assembly for Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ.