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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote responsible dog ownership near livestock.

Defra has been working closely with the police and local authorities and provided clear guidance to them on how they can tackle irresponsible dog ownership, including dealing with dog attacks on livestock. This has included promoting the Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs (LEAD) initiative to encourage partnership working between police and local authorities and to address minor incidents involving dogs before they escalate. We have also updated the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs, which encourages owners to keep their dog on a lead around livestock or to avoid such situations, in order to make it more accessible to readers.