Asked by: Mike Thornton (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken, since the debate in the House on legislation of the sale of puppies and kittens on 4 September 2014, to brief local authorities on the requirements for people in the business of breeding dogs to obtain a relevant licence.
Answered by George Eustice
As I promised during the debate, my Department has written to all local authorities reminding them that the overriding factor when considering whether a dog breeder should be licensed is whether they are in the business of breeding and selling dogs. We also pointed out that local authorities can add conditions to individual pet shop licences restricting the species of animals sold. I have placed a copy of the letter in the House libraries.
Asked by: Mike Thornton (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been identified as in contravention of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
The numbers of dogs in contravention of Section 1 that courts have notified to the Index of Exempted Dogs in each year is as follows:
2009 372
2010 674
2011 649
2012 649
2013 700
Asked by: Mike Thornton (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local waterways blocked by flooding are reopened for community use as soon as possible.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Canals and rivers are an important asset for tourism and recreation, which the Government aims to protect and promote. However, the maintenance and dredging of canals and other waterways is an operational matter for the relevant Navigation Authority.