Guidance

Part 1: General licence for the movement of cattle

Updated 1 April 2022

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

Animal Health Act 1981

The Disease Control (England) Order 2003 (as amended)

In accordance with Article 12 of the Disease Control (England) Order 2003, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hereby authorises by this licence the movement of cattle within England, subject to the following conditions:

General

1) Prior to any movement the owner/keeper shall inspect the cattle to be moved for signs of any notifiable disease (including Foot and Mouth Disease).

If there is any suspicion of the presence of a notifiable disease, it must be notified without delay to the relevant Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office.

No animal kept on the premises of departure may be moved under this licence whilst the suspicion of disease is investigated or as advised by APHA.

Cleansing and disinfection

2) Any vehicle used for the movement of cattle under this licence must be cleansed and disinfected in accordance with the requirements set out in the:

• Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No. 3) Order 2003
• Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATO)

This is without prejudice to the need to comply with all other applicable legal requirements in relation to any movement.

Movements not permitted under this licence

3) This licence may not be used to move cattle from:

• market of any description to another market of any description
• market of any description to a collecting centre
• collecting centre to a market of any description
• collecting centre to collecting centre
• slaughterhouse to any other place
• dedicated slaughter market to any premises other than a slaughterhouse
• dedicated slaughter collection to any premises other than a slaughterhouse
• market to artificial insemination centre
• approved assembly centre to any other place other than:
  • a port or airport
  • a slaughterhouse in Great Britain
  • the premises from which the cattle were initially consigned to the assembly centre3
  • a dedicated slaughter market

4) This licence may not be used to move cattle:

• between common land (being land over which the owner or keeper has a registered right of common as defined in paragraph 9(3) of Schedule 1 of the Disease Control (England) Order 2003)
• any premises other than the:
  • premises occupied by the owner or keeper of the animal and in relation to which the registered right of common is exercised
  • premises occupied by any other person who has a registered right of common over that land and in relation to which the right of common is exercised

6-day rule

5) No cattle may be moved under this licence from premises on to which one or more cattle, sheep, goats or pigs have been moved in the preceding 6 day period where this would not be lawful under the Disease Control Order.

A summary of the relevant exemptions under that Order in relation to this rule is set out in Annex A.

For the avoidance of doubt, cattle being moved to any bovine TB finishing unit are not exempt from the application of the 6 day rule.

Animal identification

6) All movements are subject to the provisions of The Cattle Identification Regulations 2007

Compliance with the provisions of the above Regulations shall be a condition of this licence. This is without prejudice to the need to comply with all other applicable legal requirements in relation to any movement.

Multiple pick-ups/drop-offs

7) Multiple pick-ups and drop-offs are permitted for all movements under this licence subject to the conditions set out at Annex B unless prohibited by any future measures.

Stops

8) Scheduled stops will be permitted for all movements under this licence subject to the conditions set out at Annex C unless prohibited by any future measures.

No transfers of livestock between vehicles (or unloading of livestock except in an emergency) are allowed at any stop, whether scheduled or not, except in the case of multiple pick up or drop off operations where this is done in accordance with the instructions set out in Annex B.

Mixing of species

9) Animals of more than one species may travel in a single vehicle at any one time.

Movement reporting

10) The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) must be notified within 3 calendar days of any cattle movement under this licence.

11) Breeding bulls may only be moved to a market from premises under standstill where:

• they have been kept in an approved isolation facility in accordance with the Disease Control Order
• the sender completes the declaration at Part 2 to this licence and sends it to the relevant Local Authority without undue delay

12) Breeding bulls (including those returning unsold from a market) may only be moved on to premises without triggering a standstill where:

• an approved isolation facility is used in accordance with the Disease Control Order
• the recipient completes the declaration at Part 3 to this licence and sends it to the relevant Local Authority without undue delay

Zoo movements

13) Movements of cattle to, from, or between zoo premises licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 are not subject to the Disease Control Order. Such movements do not therefore fall within the terms of this licence.

Sole Occupancy Authority

14) This licence may not be used to move cattle from any premises within a Sole Occupancy Authority to any premises outside that Sole Occupancy Authority whilst any premises within that Sole Occupancy Authority are under a movement standstill as provided for by Articles 4 and 5 of the Disease Control Order.

Validity of licence and restrictions

15) No cattle may be moved under this licence on or off premises if this is contrary to any other notifiable disease control measures in place at the time of the proposed movement. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes those controls and restrictions imposed for bovine Tuberculosis.

16) This licence cannot be used to move any cattle whose movement is prohibited under any notice issued whether under Article 13 of the Disease Control Order or otherwise.

17) This licence is not valid for cattle that were born or reared in the UK before 1 August 1996.

18) Without prejudice to the liability of any other person for any breach of these conditions, it shall be the responsibility of both the owner and keeper of any animals moved under the licence to ensure that a movement is at all times carried out subject to, and in compliance with, these conditions.

This licence came into force at 00.01 hrs on 1 July 2016.

Signed by Nieves Bottomley Officer of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Dated 29 June 2016.

This licence hereby revokes and replaces the licence authorised on 3 April 2014 with effect from 00.01hrs 1 July 2016.