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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the total cost to farmers in (a) the UK and (b) Yorkshire of dog attacks to livestock.

The Government is aware of the devastating effect that dog attacks on livestock can have for farmers and other livestock keepers including in terms of significant financial loss. Data on the total costs are not collected centrally. Defra and the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England (AHWBE) recently met police forces, farming and rural interests to discuss the situation. Under the auspices of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, five police forces are collaborating to pilot more systematic data collection of incidents and good response practices.