News
Consultation on the introduction of a Scottish Fixed Penalty Notice scheme for Animal Health under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 1981
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the introduction of a Fixed Penalty Notice scheme for animal health offences. We are seeking your views on specific proposals including:
- General characteristics of the scheme which including who should be empowered to issue FPNs and how they will be issued, how FPNs will be paid and the effect of doing so, and how FPNs can be appealed or withdrawn;
- Penalty levels and amounts that should be applicable for the animal health FPN scheme, and the circumstances where the penalty amount could be increased or decreased;
- A scale of harm which would introduce three additional scales of low, medium and high risk which would see their penalty reduced by 50% (low), or 25% (medium). The full penalty would be payable if considered high risk; and
- The offences that meet the FPN criteria and proposals for the offences that should be included in the scheme when it launches
A link to the consultation on Citizen Space can be found at: https://consult.gov.scot/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health-fixed-penalty-notice-scheme
You are invited to respond to the enclosed consultation document, and your response is important to us. Please note that the consultation will close on 29 May 2025. Any response received after this date will not be included in the consultation analysis.
Changes to legislation - Free Range Status during AI restrictions
Please note the attached link. This amending legislation removes the 16-week limit on the length of time packs of Class A eggs can continue to be marked as “free-range” where the laying hens’ daytime access to open-air runs is restricted. It provides that eggs can be marked as “free-range” notwithstanding any temporary restriction imposed on the basis of assimilated law to protect public or animal health. The start and finish time of any restriction imposed on free range flocks without them losing their Free-Range status lies in Scotland with the Chief Veterinary Officer (Scotland). Please feel free to share.
The Free-Range Egg Marketing Standards (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
Kind regards
Scottish Government Poultry Branch |Directorate for Agriculture & Rural Delivery |Animal Health & Welfare Division|P Spur, Saughton House |Broomhouse Drive |Edinburgh EH11 3XD |0300 2449857 |
The Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009 - ARH registered producers and breeders - 18 Dec 2024
Following a review of legislation, it has come to our attention that the Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009 does not include a requirement to record movements for laying or breeding flocks. Article 11 “Records of movements” of the Order currently only applies to broiler flocks.
Previously, those acting on behalf of the Scottish Ministers could request movement records under the Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Scotland) Order 2008, however, when this Order was revoked and replaced with the 2009 Order this provision was not transposed for the laying and breeding flocks. We are therefore proposing to amend the 2009 Order to extend the requirements within Article 11 to the laying and breeding sectors.
We will be taking forward this amendment through the Disease Control (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Order 2025 which will be laid on 20 March and come into force on 15 May 2025. Full details of the proposed amendment are contained within the attached letter.
Please note that a copy of this letter also been sent separately to poultry industry representatives as well.
17 December 2024
Dear Sir/Madam
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONTROL OF SALMONELLA IN POULTRY (BREEDING, LAYING AND BROILER FLOCKS) (SCOTLAND) ORDER 2009
I am writing to inform you of a proposed amendment to the Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009. The Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009 came into force on 26 June 2009 and enforces assimilated EU legislation 2160/2003, 200/2010, 517/2011, and 200/2012. It revoked and remade the Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Scotland) Order 2008 to extend sampling provision to broiler flocks of birds of the species Gallus gallus. Following a review of the legislation, it has come to our attention that the Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009 does not include a requirement to record movements for laying or breeding flocks. Article 11 “Records of movements” of the Order currently only applies to broiler flocks. This means that although those acting on behalf of Scottish Ministers could ask for these records, they can only be requested when necessary to ascertain compliance with the rules on the National Control Programmes. Previously, those acting on behalf of the Scottish Ministers could request movement records under the Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Scotland) Order 2008, however, when this Order was revoked and replaced with the 2009 Order this provision was not transposed for the laying and breeding flocks. In England and Wales, these records can be requested through the Control of Salmonella Order 2007 and the Control of Salmonella (Wales) Order 2008 respectively. To ensure consistency in policy across Great Britain we are proposing to amend Article 11 of the Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009 which will extend the requirement to record the following movements on and off the holding, as is already the requirement for broiler flocks: Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD www.gov.scot
• the date of the movement;
• whether the movement was on to or off the holding;
• the number of birds moved;
• the age of the birds moved;
• in the case of the movement of an entire flock, the identification of that flock, where there is more than one flock on the holding;
• the identity of the building or group of buildings in to or from which the birds were moved; and
• (the address of the holding that they came from or were sent to. These records will be reviewed when official samples are taken under the National Control Programme.
We will be taking forward this amendment through the Disease Control (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Order 2025 which will be laid on 20 March and coming into force on 15 May 2025. The recording requirements will apply to new records only from the 15 May 2025 and no retrospective recording will be required. If you have any questions about this legislative change please contact us at animal.health@gov.scot.
Yours sincerely Caroline Blair
Disease Control Branch: Endemics Tea
Changes to understanding the Key to Scottish Egg Codes
“The Avian Registration Hub (ARH) is now SGPUs new operational database. As one of the many new improvements that were made, the issuing of production site registration numbers now includes that of a 4-digit code. We have moved from a 3 digit to a 4-digit identifier as we were close to running out of numbers in the old system which only went up to 999. We will continue to use to use all registrations that had already be issued with a 3 digit unique identifier and will now only be issuing new numbers with the 4-digit identifier.
Country Parish Holding Number (CPH) - more detailed guidance
COUNTY PARISH HOLDING NUMBERS (CPH)
When keepers register for the first time on the SKBR system they are allocated a CPH number. The exception to this is, of course, where keepers already have a CPH number, in which case the following guidance should prove useful:
see page 6 of "Everything you need to know about SKBR" in our guidance setion (Page 6)
1 July 2024 – ARH opens for registrations
ARH Webpage: Sign In - ARH (scoteid.com)
- For ARH IT related issues contact SCOTEID
- SCOTEID Telephone: 01466 405101
- SCOTEID email: arh@scoteid.com.
- For ARH queries on applications and guidance
- SCOTEID Telephone: 0300 2449972
- SCOTEID email: eggs_and_poultry_mailbox@gov.scot
- SG Responsibility: ARE:AHW- Poultry Unit (SGPU)