Written questions by Jones.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she will bring forward legislation to ban the use of enriched cages for laying hens.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking, in the context of the UK–EU SPS negotiations, to pursue animal welfare measures, including a ban on foie gras imports, in the context of representations made by foie gras industry interests to EU institutions.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to introduce legislation to create a closed hunting season for hares.

This Government committed to consider how to bring forward and introduce a close season for hares in England in its Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, which runs from February to October, meaning that fewer leverets (infant hares) are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation. A close season is also consistent with Natural England's advice on wildlife management that controlling species in their peak breeding season should be avoided unless genuinely essential and unavoidable. A suitable primary legislative vehicle is required to deliver this change, and this Government is actively looking for suitable opportunities to take this measure forward.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of a) companion animal ownership trends and b) recent legislative changes on local authority costs, including i) kennelling and ii) enforcement services.

The Department engages regularly with local authority representative groups to understand pressures on their animal welfare functions, including kennelling and enforcement.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish guidance on how owners of exempted dogs will be able to remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party liability insurance beyond 1 July 2026.

Defra has published guidance on our gov.uk page and contacted all registered owners to inform them that no action is required at this stage. We will share further guidance which will be published on gov.uk in early June. Defra is working to ensure owners of banned breed dogs can remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party public liability insurance beyond 1 July 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has plans to help stop the breeding of cats with extreme physical traits associated with adverse health and welfare outcomes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 March 2026 to the hon. Member for Spen Valley to PQ UIN 121026.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government's Animal Welfare Strategy's commitment to work with the veterinary profession to reduce tail docking will involve specific guidance for vets to ensure they are not authorising illegal mutilations.

The Department has recently engaged with the Pig Veterinary Society and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons regarding reducing the incidence of pig tail docking, and we are now carefully considering the appropriate next steps, including the possibility of developing further guidance for veterinarians.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Animal Law Foundation's report entitled A Pig’s Tail: How Europe is moving beyond routine tail docking, published in April 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the levels of pig tail docking.

As the Government made clear in the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, we take the issue of pig tail docking very seriously. Working with industry and the veterinary profession to reduce the prevalence of tail docking is a priority. The Government will be carefully reviewing the Animal Law Foundation’s report as it considers the appropriate next steps.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the withdrawal of third-party public liability insurance from the Dogs Trust Companion Club scheme, effective 1st July, whether her department is taking steps to devise and implement a workable alternative solution for owners of exempted dogs; and if her department will provide assurance that no owners of exempted dogs will be left unable to comply with existing legislation.

Defra is working to ensure owners are supported to remain compliant with the law once the current insurance product ends. Dog owners must continue to meet all existing legal requirements but do not need to take any further action at this stage.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to lay the Activity Regulations to give effect to the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023; and which activities she plans to prioritise.

The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. As set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national animal abuse register to record the names of people who have been found guilty of crimes against animals.

The Government does not currently have plans to assess the benefits of a national animal abuse register. Defra continue to work closely with enforcement partners to strengthen existing protections for animals.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a ban on greyhound racing in England.

The Animal Welfare strategy published in December 2025 sets out Government priorities until 2030. The Government currently has no plans to ban greyhound racing. While the Government recognises the concerns some people have about greyhound racing, there is legislation in place to protect the welfare of racing greyhounds in England and a regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) – that has made many improvements to greyhound welfare. We will continue to monitor animal welfare conditions.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to bring forward legislation to outlaw the use of snare traps.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Defra is now actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as swiftly as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations on greyhound welfare in the racing industry.

The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations). The 2010 Regulations include a number of welfare requirements, such as requiring all greyhound tracks to have a veterinary surgeon in attendance to ensure that every greyhound is fit to run. In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) enforces welfare standards (including those in the 2010 Regulations) at GBGB affiliated tracks, as well as at GBGB licensed trainers’ kennels. Independent, external oversight of GBGB’s regulatory work at tracks and trainers’ kennels is provided by the UK’s National Accreditation Body - the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). We will continue to monitor animal welfare conditions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Welsh Government on (a) proposals to ban greyhound racing and (b) regulations to improve greyhound welfare.

Defra officials engage regularly with officials in the Welsh Government on a range of animal welfare issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has her Department made in reviewing traps aside from snares used to catch wildlife.

In the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, the Government committed to ban the use of snares in England and conduct a review of other traps used to catch wildlife in England for which welfare concerns have been raised. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has already been commissioned to conduct a review of the evidence relating to the spring traps listed on the Spring Trap Approval Order as it applies in England and work is underway.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward legislation to ban the importation of hunting trophies.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has plans to introduce a ban on the import of foie gras produced by force-feeding.

The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Foie gras production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation. The Government is committed to delivering the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation. As part of this, Defra will continue to consider the evidence and options in relation to foie gras.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled PFAS Plan: building a safer future together, updated on 3 February 2026, is she will set out progress and next steps on the measures on consumer articles, including indicative timeframes for their delivery.

The Government’s PFAS Plan published on 3 February 2026 sets out the Government’s approach to PFAS, including those used in consumer articles. The timeline for implementing the next steps on measures relating to consumer articles is set out in the actions table in the PFAS Plan. Action is already underway, with the joint Defra-OPSS roundtable scheduled for April 2026. This will serve as a next step in understanding the risks associated with PFAS in consumer goods and assessing potential regulatory options.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled PFAS Plan: building a safer future together, updated on 3 February 2026, is she will set out the expected timeline for implementing the measures relating to consumer articles.

The Government’s PFAS Plan published on 3 February 2026 sets out the Government’s approach to PFAS, including those used in consumer articles. The timeline for implementing the next steps on measures relating to consumer articles is set out in the actions table in the PFAS Plan. Action is already underway, with the joint Defra-OPSS roundtable scheduled for April 2026. This will serve as a next step in understanding the risks associated with PFAS in consumer goods and assessing potential regulatory options.