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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what reports her Department has received of cruelty to animals in the trafficking of dogs from Eastern Europe to the UK.

The Dogs Trust wrote to Defra Ministers on 13 November about their report The Puppy Smuggling Scandal. The report highlights that responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has written to the authorities in the countries highlighted in the report to remind them of their duty to ensure that the welfare of pets intended for sale is safeguarded. There is a robust checking regime for pets travelling into Great Britain. Every pet travelling with its owner on an approved route is checked for compliance with the pet travel regime and UK Border Force carry out a wide range of checks on vehicles arriving in the UK.