Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question HL5729, if his Department will discuss with representatives of local highway authorities the Government's recommendation that those authorities consider scanning any deceased cats or dogs found on the highway for which they are responsible as a matter of standard practice.

The Department for Transport has already highlighted to local highway authorities the importance of scanning deceased dogs and cats found on the highway as part of standard practice. This advice was included in a letter sent in March 2015 to highway authorities in England, outside London. It is the responsibility of each highway authority to determine whether to do so or not based on their own policies and procedures. However, the Department for Transport will look for opportunities to highlight the issue to local authorities.