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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the stakeholders her Department consulted in developing the Animal Welfare Strategy.

The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December and sets out our priorities for animal welfare, focusing on the changes and improvements the department aim to achieve by 2030.

The Animal Welfare Strategy has been developed in conjunction with key stakeholders including representatives of the companion, wild companion, wild animal and farming sectors along with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and those involved in enforcement. The department has held roundtable discussions on priorities whilst working to understand the underlying issues that lead to poor welfare. The department also received input from a wide range of other interested parties. Defra will continue to engage with stakeholders as we deliver on the strategy.