Guidance

General licence for the movement of sheep and goats Part I

Updated 1 April 2022

Animal Health Act 1981 - The disease control (England) order 2003 (as amended)

General licence for the movement of sheep and goats

Part I

In accordance with Article 12 of the Disease Control (England) Order 2003, (the “Disease Control Order,^{[footnote 1]} the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hereby authorises by this licence the movement of sheep and goats within England, subject to the following conditions:

General

1). Prior to any movement the owner/keeper shall inspect the sheep and goats to be moved for signs of any notifiable disease ^{[footnote 2]} (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 office (APHA) and 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 sheep and goats under this licence must be cleansed and disinfected in accordance with the Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No. 3) Order 2003 and the 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 sheep or goats from:

• Market of any description to another market of any description
• Market of any description to a collecting centre
• Market of any description to an approved assembly centre, except that sheep and goats which have completed the relevant residency period as required by EU legislation and the relevant standstill period on the premises of origin may move from a market (handling only such sheep and goats) to an approved assembly centre
• Collecting centre to a market of any description
• Collecting centre to a 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:

  • to a port or airport
  • to the premises from which the sheep were initially consigned to the assembly centre^{[footnote 3]}
  • to a slaughterhouse in Great Britain
  • to a dedicated slaughter market in Great Britain.

4). This licence may not be used to move sheep or goats 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) and 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; or

• 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 sheep or goats 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.

Animal identification, movement documents and record keeping

6). All movements are subject to the provisions of The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (England) Order 2009. Compliance with the provisions of the above Order 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

Mixing of Species

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

Movement Reporting

10). All movements of sheep or goats under the authority of this licence must be reported in accordance with Articles 22 and 23 of the Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (England) Order 2009.

11). A movement document must be completed and supplied.

12). Multiple moves must not be recorded on a single movement document. In the case of multiple pick ups, a separate movement document must be completed for each batch of animals that is picked up.

13). If a large consignment of sheep or goats is moved in more than one trip, a separate movement document must be completed for each trip.

14). The keeper at the premises of destination shall ensure that the movement of animals is reported within 3 calendar days of the movement taking place.

15). Breeding rams may only be moved to a market from premises under standstill where (a) they have been kept in an approved isolation facility in accordance with the Disease Control Order; and (b) the sender completes the declaration at Part II to this licence and sends it to SouthWestern^{[footnote 4]} without undue delay.

16). Breeding rams (including those returning unsold from a market) may only be moved on to premises without triggering a standstill where (a) an approved isolation facility is used in accordance with the Disease Control Order; and (b) the recipient completes the declaration at Part III to this licence and sends it to SouthWestern without undue delay.

17). Breeding goats may only be moved on to premises without triggering a standstill where (a) an approved isolation facility is used in accordance with the Disease Control Order; and (b) the recipient completes the declaration at Part IV to this licence and sends it to SouthWestern without undue delay.

Zoo movements

18). Movements of sheep and goats 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

19). This licence may not be used to move sheep or goats 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

20). No sheep or goats may be moved under this licence on or off premises if this is contrary to other notifiable disease control measures in place at the time of the proposed movement.^{[footnote 5]}

21). This licence cannot be used to move any sheep or goats whose movement is prohibited under any notice issued whether under article 13 of the Disease Control Order or otherwise.

22). 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.

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 00.01 hrs on 1 July 2016.

1. References in this license to UK legislation are references to that legislation as amended from time to time. ↩

2. www.gov.uk/disease-notification-duties-of-farmers/ ↩

3. Except that sheep or goats which have completed the relevant residency period required by EU legislation and the relevant standstill period on the premises of origin may move from an approved assembly centre to a farm in Great Britain other than that from which they were initially consigned to the approved assembly centre. ↩

4. SouthWestern provides the ARAMS movement reporting service. Their address is at the bottom of the ARAMS movement document. ↩

5. The latest information regarding notifiable disease control measures together with information on how to register to receive text alerts on such controls can be found at www.gov.uk/apha ↩