Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Pet Theft Taskforce plans to bring forward legislative proposals to tackle pet theft, such as (a) reforming the existing sentencing guidelines and (b) bringing forward bespoke proposals; and what non-legislative steps the taskforce will take to tackle pet theft.

The pet theft taskforce has been set up to gather evidence to understand the factors that may be contributing to any rise in pet thefts and to recommend any necessary measures – legislative and non-legislative - to tackle the problem. It will consider the issue from end to end, including causes, prevention, reporting, and enforcement, examining every option available to protect families from this hurtful crime and make sure perpetrators feel the full force of the law. The taskforce is due to report its recommendations in the summer.

The sentencing guidelines are produced by the Sentencing Council which is independent of Government and aims to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing.