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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government's press release, Sentences for animal cruelty to increase tenfold to five years, published on 30 September 2017, what progress his Department has made on bringing forward legislative proposals to increase sentences for animal cruelty in the agriculture industry.

Since the press release in September, the Government published the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill in December 2017 for consultation which closed on 31 January. We are analysing the 9,000 responses and will respond shortly.