Written questions by Furniss.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) protect natural habitats and (b) promote biodiversity net gain.

In England we are committed to nature protection and recovery. This includes delivering our legally binding biodiversity target to restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042. We will create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitat, reduce pressures on species including from pollution and climate change, and take targeted action to recover specific species. The Environmental Improvement Plan is being reviewed and we have confirmed the commitment to restoring 75% of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) to favourable condition by 2042. SSSIs continue to be one of the most effective tools for protecting and enhancing biodiversity and deliver a wide range of health and socio-economic benefits. A priority for this Government is to support building the homes and infrastructure we desperately need while protecting the environment. Mandatory biodiversity net gain, which became a requirement for most developments in February 2024, is an important means of enabling this. Officials are working closely with the construction, environmental, and local authority sectors to monitor the delivery of biodiversity net gain to ensure its success.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to tackle (a) unethical cat breeding and (b) kitten farming.

Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone in the business of breeding and selling cats as pets needs to have a valid licence issued by their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences. Anyone carrying on a licensable activity without a licence faces up to 6 months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both. Defra has been working on a post-implementation review of the Regulations. This review considers whether the Regulations have met their objectives, and where there could be scope to further improve the protections they provide.