Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Leader of the House on scheduling Parliamentary time for the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Business Managers are aware of the manifesto commitments to be fulfilled and are in charge of scheduling Government business. I am sure the House will be pleased with the progress of other commitments on animal welfare that are now in the Lords and I hope will progress unamended. The Leader of the House will continue to announce business in the usual way.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to introduce a ban on the use of farrowing crates.
Answered by Mark Spencer
I refer the Rt hon. Member to the answer given on 20 March 2023 to the Rt hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion, PQ UIN 166171.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dog breeders who breed (a) one and (b) two litters per year have a dog breeding licence.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 March 2023 to PQ158888 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Government has not prohibited the use of electric shock collars.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We remain committed to prohibiting the use of remote controlled electronic training collars that deliver an electric shock to cats and dogs. We will introduce the necessary legislation soon.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has spent on research into electronic dog training aids in the last ten years; what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of that research; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
My Department commissioned research projects AW1402: ‘Effect of pet training aids, specifically remote static pulse systems, on the welfare of domestic dogs’ and AW1402A: ‘Studies to assess the effect of pet training aids, specifically remote static pulse systems on the welfare of domestic dogs; field study of dogs in training’, at a cost of £469,000 and £69,925 respectively. The findings of both projects were published in 2014.
Findings from these research projects informed our decision to ban the use of remote controlled electronic training collars that deliver an electric shock to cats and dogs, given their scope to cause harm.
We plan to introduce these regulations soon.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to introduce a ban on electric shock collars.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We plan to introduce regulations soon which will prohibit the use of remote controlled electronic training collars that deliver an electric shock to cats and dogs.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to remove the business test in the dog breeding regulations.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations), anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority.
We are always seeking to learn from the implementation of legislation and make improvements where necessary. The 2018 Regulations are currently being reviewed, and the Government’s report on the review will be published later in 2023. As part of this review my department is re-examining the scope and operability of the licensing framework. We currently have no plans to introduce self-regulation by systems such as the Kennel Club Assured Breeders scheme.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to include the Kennel Club assured breeder scheme in the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 to allow the scheme to self-regulate its members.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations), anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority.
We are always seeking to learn from the implementation of legislation and make improvements where necessary. The 2018 Regulations are currently being reviewed, and the Government’s report on the review will be published later in 2023. As part of this review my department is re-examining the scope and operability of the licensing framework. We currently have no plans to introduce self-regulation by systems such as the Kennel Club Assured Breeders scheme.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce compulsory microchipping for cats.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We plan to lay regulations soon, which will bring compulsory cat microchipping into force in England. Once in force, cat keepers will have 12 months to comply with the new requirements.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will be brought back to Parliament.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Bill will progress when Parliamentary time allows. The date for the remaining stages in the Commons will be announced in the usual way.