Written question asked by Tracey Crouch (Conservative) on Monday, 9 March 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 11 March 2020. It was answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury (Conservative) on Friday, 29 May 2020 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Animal Welfare: Inspections

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of district councils in Kent that have their own animal welfare inspectors.

Answer: Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, local authorities in England are required to appoint one or more suitably qualified inspectors to inspect premises requiring licensing under the regulations, including those relating to dog breeding, pet selling, hiring out horses, animal exhibits and animal boarding. Local authorities appoint such inspectors using powers under section 51 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Local authority animal welfare inspectors also carry out inspections in relation to welfare in transport, on-farm welfare and, particularly in Kent, helping to tackle illegal imports of dogs. It is for local authorities, such as those within Kent, to determine how to prioritise their resources as well as the number of animal inspectors they appoint under the Animal Welfare Act. We do not hold data centrally on the number of inspectors appointed under the Act.

Secondary information