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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (ii) the Countryside Alliance and (iii) other country sports groups on animal sentience.

Defra Ministers and officials engage with stakeholders in relation to a range of animal welfare issues including animal sentience. Defra officials had a meeting with representatives of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation where animal sentience was discussed and the Countryside Alliance submitted a contribution to the recent consultation on the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill.