Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has (a) received and (b) made to the Spanish government on (i) the burning of live bulls at festivals and (ii) bull-fighting in that country.

The UK is opposed to any form of animal cruelty.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office continues to receive representations from Members of Parliament and the public on bullfighting.

The Government has not made any recent Ministerial representations to Spain specifically in relation to these two issues. The UK actively works at European and international levels to encourage countries to adopt animal welfare standards which are as high as our own. Animal welfare in the EU is the responsibility of individual Member States.