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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that injured animals are not made to travel unnecessarily far journeys in order to be euthanized.

When animals are transported, their transportation must comply fully with legal requirements aimed at protecting their welfare. All animals must be fit for the intended journey. Veterinary advice should be sought prior to transport where there is any doubt about an animal's fitness to travel. It is an offence to transport animals in a way that will cause injury or unnecessary suffering.

Local authorities carry out routine welfare checks on animals and their means of transport and will take appropriate enforcement measures up to and including prosecution if required, where the appropriate standards are not met.

Earlier this year, the Government consulted on improvements to animal welfare during transport. We will shortly publish the response to the consultation which will outline how we will be seeking to improve standards of animal welfare in transport.