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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many local authorities have trained and qualified officers available to undertake animal-welfare enforcement.

Local authorities play a vital role in animal welfare enforcement and are responsible for determining and allocating resources according to local needs and priorities. Defra is strengthening its understanding of enforcement capacity and capability, including through a new statutory data return covering farming and import-related animal health and welfare services.