None of the local authority inspectors communicated with each other so all the pitfalls and similarities must have the same root cause.
- The data shows that local authority licensing officers were unable to carry out inspections professionally or consistently.
- Multiple complaints have been lodged by business owners alleging licensing officers abused their authority, made up regulations and misinterpreted others.
- Local authority officials assumed that DEFRA gave them the authority to demand the closure of businesses, undercut the financial viability of businesses, demean business owners and demand massive financial inputs to meet DEFRA’s regulations.
- Licensing officers also believed that all of their threats and actions were supported by DEFRA and despite the argument that they were only carrying out DEFRA’s orders, DEFRA did not provide any coherent or specific guidance.
Why have DEFRA sat on this for three years without doing anything?
- DEFRA deny that they are responsible but refused to inform, help or provide clarification to local authorities.
- DEFRA refuse to fix or revoke their overreaching, incongruous and contradictory regulations.
- DEFRA refuse to acknowledge that writing the regulations to introduce an unworkable rating system is the source of all the problems.
- DEFRA refuse to address why their unworkable and incoherent rating system can’t be applied equitably.
- DEFRA refuse to accept that their rating system is pointless if local authorities can’t rate anyone consistently and the rating doesn’t convey any information to our customers.
- DEFRA can’t show how the application of any of their regulatory framework has or even would have produced any improvement to animal welfare.
- DEFRA refuse to accept responsibility for the endless delays while the number of people quitting this sector citing the regulations and inspections as the final straw increased.
DEFRA have refused to act in the public interest despite knowing that a third of the UK’s boarding capacity has disappeared since their regulations were imposed on this industry.
DEFRA understand that many areas of the country don't have the spaces to meet the post-covid demand for boarding.
DEFRA knows that there is no plan and no resources available to tackle the number of unlicensed and uninsured outfits set up to provide unregulated services through social media.
So doing nothing to fix the problem is the DEFRA solution.