Government
Government policy plays a critical role in shaping the regulatory and commercial environment for the UK pet industry. Under this tag, Pet Gazette covers legislation, consultations, and regulatory updates affecting pet retailers, wholesalers, and distributors — from pet food labelling and animal welfare standards to licensing rules, trade regulations, and business rates. We also report on government-backed initiatives, support schemes, and local authority actions that influence retail operations or supply chain logistics. This tag keeps industry professionals informed about political and regulatory developments with direct implications for commercial petcare businesses.
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Mar- 2022 -17 MarchEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 0.75%
The Bank of England has raised interest rates back to the pre-pandemic level of 0.75% as it tries to mitigate the effect of the rising costs of living and the impact that the conflict in Ukraine is having on the global economy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted with a…
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17 MarchFeatures
Animal welfare technology in the pet industry
“Demand for pets has soared. Enquiries increased by more than 253% during lockdown and over 20,000 people contacted pet charity Wood Green about getting a new pet – more than half of which were for dogs,” says Linda Cantle, director of pet and owner support services at Wood Green. The…
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Feb- 2022 -17 FebruaryIndustry News
New Scottish Veterinary Service unveiled
Field animal health and welfare functions currently delivered by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Scotland are to be replaced by a new Scottish Veterinary Service (SVS). Speaking at the NFUS AGM, the Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon gave the green light to the new service, which will be…
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3 FebruaryEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 0.5%
The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates for the second time in three months to 0.5%, up from 0.25% previously. The BoE Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) confirmed it voted by a majority of 5-4 to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 0.5%. Interestingly, it revealed those…
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3 FebruaryEconomy
Energy price cap to rise 54% from April
Retail bosses are braced for a spending squeeze after it was revealed the energy price cap is set to increase by 54% from 1 April amid a “record” increase in global gas prices, in a move that is set to affect approximately 22 million customers. Energy regulator Ofgem announced that…
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Jan- 2022 -28 JanuaryCharities
RSPCA to make UK ‘global leader’ for animal welfare
After a successful first year of its new strategy, the RSPCA has announced its upcoming plans to make the UK a global leader for animal welfare. It revealed the new strategy saw “many successes” such as tougher sentencing for animal abusers, increasing supporter numbers and the introduction of flexible working…
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19 JanuaryCurrent Affairs
Inflation hits 30-year high
Inflation reached 5.4% in December, its highest rate since CPIH stood at 5.1% in May 1992, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It revealed the consumer prices index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose 4.8% in the 12 months to December 2021, up…
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5 JanuaryRetailing
Price rises to pick up momentum in 2022
Shop price annual inflation accelerated to 0.8% in December, up from 0.3% in November with prices set to rise in the new year, according to a latest study from the BRC. The increase of 0.3% is above the 12 and six month average price decreases of 0.9% and 0.3%, respectively.…
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Dec- 2021 -10 DecemberAwards
OATA names recipient of second stakeholder award
OATA has given its second Stakeholder Engagement Award to Rob Quest from Heathrow’s Animal Reception Centre in recognition of his long-standing work with the pet industry. The association said it wished to acknowledge the work he has done over many years, both at the airport to help ensure the smooth…
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Oct- 2021 -14 OctoberCurrent Affairs
Over 40 employee groups pen letter urging Sunak to cut business rates
The CBI, along with 41 trade associations spanning the UK economy, have issued a joint statement urging the chancellor Rishi Sunak to reform the business rates system and “unleash a wave of business investment across key government priorities, including net zero and levelling up”. The joint statement from businesses is…
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