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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her priority to extend the maximum sentence which the courts can impose for offences involving animal cruelty.

The maximum penalties for animal welfare offences are kept under review and Defra has been in regular discussion with the Ministry of Justice on appropriate sentencing levels. The Sentencing Council recently published revised magistrates’ court sentencing guidelines with the aim of ensuring that the most serious cases of animal cruelty receive appropriately severe penalties within the available maximum penalty.