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 Answer of 28 May 2021 to Question 4718 on Dogs: Animal Welfare, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the (a) importation and (b) non-commercial movement of dogs into the UK that have been subject to (i) ear cropping and (ii) other low welfare practices; and if she do so before the end of this parliamentary session.

As outlined in our 2021 Action Plan for Animal Welfare, the Government has an ambitious agenda for animal welfare and conservation reforms, which we plan to take forward during the current Parliamentary session and beyond. We will continue to introduce and support legislative and non-legislative reforms where possible.

A single-issue Bill which takes forward this manifesto commitment would enable us to bring forward bans on the import of young puppies, heavily pregnant dogs and those with mutilations such as cropped ears and docked tails which we have previously consulted on.