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 an assessment of the potential benefits of amending England's dog breeding legislation in a manner similar to that contained in the Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulation 2014; and if she will make a statement.

The Government considers that local authorities have the necessary powers to ensure the welfare of dogs at licensed dog breeding establishments under existing laws in England. In addition, my department wrote to all local authorities in England reminding them that the criteria for deciding if a dog breeder needs to be licensed is whether they are in the business of breeding and selling dogs, regardless of the number of litters bred or sold in a twelve month period.