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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of Battersea’s new Cost of Cute campaign.

Defra recognises the importance of conformation and genetic health in dogs and cats and supports education of owners and breeders to promote responsible breeding.

As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, this Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve the health and welfare of breeding dogs and their puppies. This Government has also committed to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, drawing on expertise from the sector, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.