Nick Timothy MP raised the issue of cross-border movement of thoroughbred horses on 6 February 2025. He noted that thoroughbreds are high-health, high-welfare animals that should be treated as such, without the need for physical border checks, and asked the Government to commit to recognising high-health status, put welfare first and reduce this barrier to trade.
See the Hansard transcript below or, to view the full debate, click here (see Mr Timothy’s question at Column 913).
Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk: ‘I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Thoroughbred horses are high-health, high-welfare animals, and they should be treated as such to allow cross-border travel without physical border checks. Can the Minister commit today to recognise their high-health status, put welfare first and reduce this barrier to trade?’
Daniel Zeichner, The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs: ‘My near neighbour raises an important point—this is a very high-value sector. A commitment was made to designate thoroughbred horses as high-health animals as part of the border target operating model, and we will provide an update on the timeline for implementation by the end of the summer.’
