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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to publish her Department's response to its 'Consultation on scanning microchips prior to euthanasia', which closed on 10 February 2026.

Earlier this year, Defra concluded an exercise engaging with key stakeholders to consider how new microchip scanning requirements prior to euthanasia have been embedded. Defra intends to issue a response to this exercise later in the year. Defra does not hold data on the number of cats and dogs euthanised by vets or the proportion scanned prior to the procedure.