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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in relation to proposals to introduce an offence of pet abduction announced in September 2021, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on those proposals; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including cats, as well as dogs, in the scope of those proposals.

Defra officials regularly discuss animal welfare issues including the new pet abduction offence with their Welsh Government counterparts.

We have listened carefully to the views expressed during the passage of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill that the new pet abduction offence should be extended to cats. We are currently considering this issue further.