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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to transpose the EU ban on leg-hold traps into UK law when the UK leaves the EU.

We plan to lay the Leghold Trap and Pelt Imports (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 before Parliament to come into force on 29 March 2019.

This legislation will ensure that leghold traps will continue to be prohibited. We will continue to ban the introduction into the UK of pelts and manufactured goods incorporating such pelts of certain wild animal species, unless the pelts originate from an approved country (and are accompanied by a certificate of origin issued by exporting and re-exporting competent authorities).

Defra is working with the devolved administrations to ensure a smooth and consistent transition for the whole of the UK.