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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the enforcement of the (a) Welfare of Animals at Time Of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 and (b) Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 by local authorities; and whether he plans to take steps to help improve enforcement the enforcement of those regulations.

The Post Implementation Review to the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 published in Jan 2021 addressed the roles of the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and local authorities in enforcement of the regulations. No such assessment has been made of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order.

Defra regularly engages with local authorities, APHA and other interested parties to discuss the enforcement of animal welfare regulations.