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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including (a) cats and (b) kittens in legislation to prevent pet smuggling.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Danny Chambers MP. The measures in the Bill will extend to cats and kittens, and close loopholes exploited by unscrupulous pet traders.