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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent consultation on animal licensing, whether they intend to bring forward regulations to ensure that all dog breeders are licensed.

The Government consulted on changes to the regulations on the breeding and sale of dogs earlier this year and proposed that all dog breeders that breed and sell three or more litters of puppies per year should hold a licence. The Government did not propose in the consultation banning third party sales. Such a ban is not supported by many of the major animal welfare organisations.

The Government published a summary of replies to the consultation on 15 September this year. The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.