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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of and (b) effectiveness of the response from local authorities in tackling stray dogs.

The Government regularly meets with stakeholders to understand the issues and trends affecting the sector. This includes the impact of the rising cost of living on pet owners and welfare organisations, as well as issues local authorities may face in meeting their obligations related to stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.