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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation on the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill which closed on 31 Jan 2018.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol East, PQ UIN 133919. Publication will also need to take account of the purdah period for the May 2018 local elections.