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 prevent exploitation of the Pet Travel Scheme by traders seeking to facilitate illegal importation of puppies.

We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will bring in some of the world’s strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals including measures which tackle puppy smuggling.