Licensing of Rescues
Last week’s investigation into a rescue in Basildon, Essex, has highlighted the inadequacy of regulation and standards in rescues in all ADCH jurisdictions, aside from Scotland and Jersey. Whilst we cannot comment on this specific case as the joint Police/RSPCA/Council investigation is on going and charges have been laid by Essex Police, we can update you with what ADCH is doing on improving standards in rescues in the jurisdictions where we have members.
ADCH, through its Legislative Committee, has been lobbying Governments in the UK and Ireland for mandatory licensing of rescues for the past eight years, using ADCH standards as the template for Governments to adopt. To date only Scotland has enacted licensing, using ADCH standards as a model but a consultation in Wales last year got overwhelming support for licensing and we hope that the Government will be able to move forward on this before next year’s election. In England, despite the Government promising a consultation since the 2019 election, political turmoil meant this was repeatedly postponed. ADCH is in direct contact with Defra officials and MPs to bring the consultation forward and we hope that when the Government release their strategy later this year, it will finally contain a consultation on licensing rescues and so avoid another rescue failure occurring.
In the meantime we would encourage you to sign the petition asking Parliament to debate this issue, and contact your elected representative to inform them that you wish to see the government introduce licensing of rescues.
