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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work her Department has undertaken on development of a humane trap for small pest control in rural areas.

The development of new traps is a matter for industry. However, all spring trap designs have to be approved by Defra under Spring Trap Approval Orders before they can be used and the approvals process assesses the humaneness of the trap.