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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent regulator or ombudsman to support pet-owning households not currently covered by an existing regulatory or complaints framework.

Defra has not completed an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent regulator or ombudsman to support pet owners. The Competition and Markets Authority is conducting a market investigation into the provision of veterinary services for household pets. Its Provisional Decision Report was published on 15 October and is open for consultation until 12 November. Defra will consider any remedies from the final report when it is published in Spring 2026.