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 welfare of (a) animals sold in pet shops and (b) rabbits sold in pet shops.

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone who is in the business of selling animals as pets, including rabbits, needs a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences.

The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities.

We are always seeking to learn from the implementation of legislation and make improvements where necessary. The 2018 Regulations are due to be reviewed five years after they came into force (2023). Work is underway on the review and my officials are working with partners, including local authorities, sector groups and trade associations to collate data that can provide a picture of licensed and unlicensed activities involving animals in England. This is an ongoing project and one which will benefit from close involvement of the sector in the development of a strong evidence base.