Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time between Royal Assent of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and the appointment of a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman on establishing reasonable grounds for a landlord to refuse a tenant’s request to keep a pet.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 123341 on 1 April 2026.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department is making to deliver secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to implementing measures to end puppy smuggling. This Government will communicate a timeline for the delivery of the relevant secondary legislation in due course.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has her Department made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory mechanism to ensure that validated non-animal models replace animal procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 already provides a binding statutory requirement to use a non-animal method where a scientifically satisfactory method or testing strategy that does not involve protected animals is reasonably and practicably available. Compliance with this requirement is considered as part of the assessment and authorisation of project licences. The Government therefore does not consider that alternatives are merely a discretionary aid, or that a further statutory mechanism is required to make their use mandatory.
Formal validation can support confidence in and regulatory acceptance of a non-animal method, but validation alone does not determine whether that method is scientifically satisfactory for every proposed use. That assessment must take account of the method’s relevance, reliability and practical availability for the particular scientific purpose.
The Government is committed to accelerating the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods. Its November 2025 strategy, led by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and backed by £75 million, sets out measures to strengthen validation, regulatory confidence and adoption, while maintaining robust standards of scientific quality and human, animal and environmental protection
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many swimming pools for dogs are licensed under Licencing of Activities Involving Animals regulations; and what estimate her Department has made of the numbers of such pools which operate without the appropriate licence.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Swimming pools for dogs are not subject to licensing under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018. The Canine and Feline Sector Group has published voluntary guidance for dog swimming pool operators. The guidance promotes good practice across areas including water quality management.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has given to introducing regulations regarding the a) quality and b) hygiene standards of dog swimming pools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Swimming pools for dogs are not subject to licensing under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018. The Canine and Feline Sector Group has published voluntary guidance for dog swimming pool operators. The guidance promotes good practice across areas including water quality management.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with her Scottish and Welsh counterparts regarding plans to establish a new National Care Service.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and officials in the Department regularly discuss issues of mutual interest, including adult social care reform, with our counterparts in the devolved governments. We will continue to engage with the devolved governments on respective plans for social care reform and will update them on our plans for a National Care Service once Baroness Casey has set out her detailed proposals next summer.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to publish the UK's delegation to the COP 31 Summit in Antalya, Türkiye.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The final list of UK delegates travelling to COP will be published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat at the end of COP31.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Turkey on fulfilling its obligations under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals to protect the welfare of street dogs forcibly moved into shelters as a result of the 2024 Animal Protection Law.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
As a member of the Council of Europe, the UK expects Turkey to act in line with conventions promoting animal welfare. This includes the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. The UK will continue to support international efforts to promote the humane treatment of animals and responsible approaches to animal welfare.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to raise concerns with the Government of Turkey regarding the potential mistreatment of street dogs forcibly moved into shelters under the 2024 Animal Protection Law.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
As a member of the Council of Europe, the UK expects Turkey to act in line with conventions promoting animal welfare. This includes the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. The UK will continue to support international efforts to promote the humane treatment of animals and responsible approaches to animal welfare.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Council of Europe on the level of Turkey's compliance with its obligations under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals in rehousing street dogs into shelters, including under that country's Animal Protection Law, No. 7527.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
As a member of the Council of Europe, the UK expects Turkey to act in line with conventions promoting animal welfare. This includes the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. The UK will continue to support international efforts to promote the humane treatment of animals and responsible approaches to animal welfare.