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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the draft Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, what assessment they have made of the necessity of considering cats and dogs together for the purposes of that legislation given the lack of danger to the public caused by cats.

The introduction of compulsory cat microchipping in England is intended to increase the likelihood that lost or stolen pet cats can be reunited with their keeper, benefitting cat welfare.

The extension of compulsory microchipping to pet cats was supported by 99% of respondents to the public consultation exercise.