Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 26 of the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, whether she plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) making wildlife crimes notifiable and (b) including them in national crime statistics.

Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.

There are currently no plans to make wildlife crimes notifiable (which would result in them being included in the national crime statistics). Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.