Research funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs into the use of remote electronic training collars on dogs concluded that while such devices had a negative effect on some dogs this was not enough to justify a ban on their use. We are working with the industry for them to develop guidance for owners and trainers advising how to use e-collars properly as well as on the manufacture of these collars in order to reduce the availability, of poor quality devices.

The Government has not made any assessment around claims of people carrying out large scale dog breeding operations. However, the existing laws on the breeding and sale of dogs provide powers to local authorities to investigate allegations of large scale dog breeding operations taking place in inappropriate conditions.

The Government has no proposals to prohibit the selling of dogs from pet shops. It is for local authorities to decide whether an individual pet shop is suitable to sell particular animals, including dogs. Conditions can be placed on individual pet shop licences restricting the animals that can be sold. If anyone is concerned about the welfare of animals in a pet shop they should report the matter to the relevant local authority.

The Government has no proposals to prohibit the selling of dogs from pet shops. It is for local authorities to decide whether an individual pet shop is suitable to sell particular animals, including dogs. Conditions can be placed on individual pet shop licences restricting the animals that can be sold. If anyone is concerned about the welfare of animals in a pet shop they should report the matter to the relevant local authority.

While there are no measures that control the number of dogs kept on a single property, a number of laws regulate the effects of keeping animals, which include welfare, cruelty, safety and environmental effects. Furthermore, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, with which the hon. Member for Bolton West (Julie Hilling) is very familiar, had its Commons Second Reading on 10 June and it provides further measures to help tackle irresponsible dog owners.

Following the tragic death of Jade Lomas Anderson, my constituents in Atherton and across Bolton West believe that more should be done to reduce the number of dogs in houses where they create a nuisance and create fear, because of their ferociousness. Will the Minister amend the current legislation so that there are specific clauses whereby owners can be made to reduce the number of dogs if they are causing fear and potential danger?

Of course it is right that the legislation should protect postal workers and utility workers, and make provision against antisocial behaviour. But may I just tell my hon. Friend that there is actually High Court authority—a settled law—whereby

if one has more than six dogs, one requires planning permission? We should not be too prescriptive here—if I want to own a number of pugs, it should not be for the state to tell me whether I should own two or four pugs, providing those pugs behave themselves properly.

Funding for the programme will be subsumed within the allotted funding for animal welfare. In addition, free microchipping is available at centres run by Dogs Trust, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and Blue Cross. Dogs Trust will also make free microchips available to veterinary surgeries.

We are working with these stakeholders as well as others such as the British Veterinary Association to promote the benefits of microchipping in the lead up to April 2016 on their websites and through their online presences.

The launch of the compulsory microchipping policy generated significant national print and broadcast coverage earlier this year.

Since then, we have been using social media to engage with dog owners and promote microchipping. We run a Facebook page promoting the benefits of compulsory microchipping to dog owners and we use this page to promote free chipping events and share case studies and reunification stories. We use Twitter to share information and to answer dog owners' questions about microchipping. We have a Google map with locations of centres offering free chipping, so that dog owners can find a convenient location to get their dog chipped free of charge.

We are also targeting specialist media and programmes targeted at dog owners as well as the national and regional press to promote the benefits of compulsory microchipping.

In the run up to 2016, we will be working with veterinarians and welfare organisations to develop a joined up, structured programme of advice and information including posters and leaflets.

Figures for April 2012-March 2013 will not be available until August 2013. However provisional figures for the 11 month period April 2012 to February 2013 are available now and show 5,793 hospital admissions as a result of injuries caused by dogs. This compares with 6,053 for the same period in 2011-12 and 6,580 for the full year 2011-12.

The Government are introducing a range of measures to tackle irresponsible ownership of dogs. The measures include: extending the criminal offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places, including inside the dog owner's home; requiring all dogs to be microchipped from April 2016; and powers to enable local authorities and police to respond to instances of antisocial behaviour that involves a dog before the situation becomes dangerous.

May I return the Government to the issue of antisocial behaviour caused when a large number of dogs are packed into a small garden, which not only causes a nuisance to neighbours, but is not good for the dogs themselves? I have written to the Home Office about this, the letter has been transferred to DEFRA and I have not yet had a response. May I please have a meeting with the relevant Minister?

The sport's regulatory authority, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), helps fund the Retired Greyhound Trust which rehomes many retired racing greyhounds. In addition, a significant proportion of ex-racing greyhounds find homes with their owners and trainers or through other welfare charities and others will return to Ireland. It is the responsibility of any racing greyhound owner to ensure the welfare of their dog. Anyone failing to provide for the welfare of their dog faces prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

[holding answer 23 April 2013]: Under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 and the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, local authorities have powers to enter and inspect licensed dog breeding establishments. Under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1991, local authorities have powers to enter and inspect dog breeding establishments that they suspect should have a valid licence and are unlicensed. In addition, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities have powers to investigate allegations of poor welfare or cruelty in unlicensed dog breeding establishments.

It is therefore for local authorities to assess the welfare standards of dog breeding establishments and decide what action, if any, to take.

I can confirm that 497 dogs were added to the Index of Exempted Dogs in 2012.

The number of dogs imported into Great Britain in 2012 (the last complete year for which there is data) via sea ports was 63,706 and via airports was 4,632. We do not hold any information on the breeds of the dogs imported.

Over the last 12 months, dogs were presented for entry into Great Britain—by sea, rail and air—with documentation (a pet passport or third country veterinary certificate) that had been issued in the following countries:

This information was taken from the Pets Statistics Database on 5 March 2013.

The docking of dogs' tails is covered by the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The statute was last reviewed in 2010 by the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and there are no plans to change the current law.

In addition to a recent Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report on dog control and welfare, my noble Friend the Under-Secretary, Lord de Mauley, has received a number of letters on the subject of puppy farms, irresponsible breeders and the internet advertising of dogs. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides the necessary powers for local authorities to investigate allegations of poor welfare among all dog breeders.