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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish best practice guidance for local authorities on enforcing the requirement for all cats and dogs to be microchipped.

Under the Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, both cats and dogs are required to be microchipped. There are no current plans to publish best practice guidance on enforcing the requirement for all cats and dogs to be microchipped and we will continue to keep this under review.

Local authorities and police have powers to enforce breaches of the Regulation. It will be for each local authority to determine on a case-by-case basis whether enforcement action is proportionate.