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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward proposals to reduce the disparities between local authorities in the cost of dog breeding licences.

The power for local authorities to set fees for dog breeding licences enables them to recover the costs of administering the licensing scheme. Costs vary across different local authorities depending on a number of factors. Defra consulted on changes to the regulations on the breeding and sale of dogs earlier this year. There was no proposal to restrict local authority fees in relation to dog breeding licences but we are working with local government to establish practical and workable guidance in this area. The Government has published a summary of replies to the consultation and the final proposals will be published in due course.