Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidence base is for her Department's policy on electronic collars.

The draft Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) Regulations 2023 were developed after considering a broad range of factors. This includes academic research – including Defra-commissioned research (AW1402 and AW1402a) – responses to the public consultation and direct engagement with trainers, behaviourists, e-collar manufacturers, the animal welfare sector, veterinary and dog keeping organisations.

In April, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission also published a report giving its assessment of the available evidence and research, which concluded that use of e-collars should be banned.