4. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline what the Welsh Government is doing to improve animal welfare across Wales? OAQ(5)0087(ERA)

Thank you. The ‘Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework—Achieving High Standards Together’ explains the approach we are taking to achieve continued and lasting improvements in standards of animal health and welfare across Wales. The 2016-17 implementation plan sets out specific actions we are taking forward in this 12-month period.

Cabinet Secretary, you’ve made it quite clear in a recent response to a written question I asked that you’ve not made any representations to your ministerial counterparts across the UK about the possibility of an animal abuse register and you’ve also confirmed that you have no intention of raising the issue of increasing penalties for animal offences at all at this present time. Given that I understand you’re meeting with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs tomorrow, can you confirm that you will now raise these matters with the UK Government, and following that meeting, will you also publish a statement outlining the Welsh Government’s agenda for improving animal welfare throughout the fifth Assembly?

In relation to the animal abuse register, Bethan Jenkins had a short debate on this issue and I have committed to looking very closely at having such a register. I don’t think I need to have discussions with my UK counterparts in relation to that.

I am meeting with the Secretary of State tomorrow. She’s coming to Cardiff at my invitation to accompany me to a stakeholder event around Brexit discussions. So, I’m not promising to raise this with her, but I will certainly look at the point you mentioned.

I don’t want to misinterpret what’s been said, but I think in response to me previously, you’ve said that you wanted to take a comprehensive and effective approach, and you’ve said that you wanted to look at what the UK was doing to be able to take stock of what we could be doing here in Wales, so that we weren’t replicating or putting a register in place that wasn’t necessary. So, I wondered if that type of discussion has happened. You’ve also said to me that you would meet with the British Veterinary Association this month and I’m wondering if that has taken place, so that we can get to an understanding as to whether you’d be minded to look at this further or not.

I am continuing to look at it, quite comprehensively actually. I had a very good presentation from a vet from Scotland around work in this area, and I will certainly write to the Member about the presentation, because I think it would be very beneficial for you and any other Member who wanted to see it. So, it is ongoing and I will update Members in due course.

Cabinet Secretary, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals consider that there’s a hidden problem in Wales in terms of monkeys and other primates. They think that around 120 are being kept as pets in Wales, and some of them at least will be suffering unnecessarily, as a result of inadequate care and the fact that they’re not suitable for being kept as domestic animals. The RSPCA are, in fact, calling for a total ban on the keeping of monkeys and other primates as pets in Wales. Will you consider the case for such a ban?

Yes, absolutely. I’m aware of the campaign by the RSPCA and I’ve asked the chief veterinary officer to have a look at it for me.

The Welsh Government introduced the Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations in 2014, regulating the puppy industry in Wales. Can the Cabinet Secretary provide her assessment of the effectiveness or otherwise of that legislation, and how much funding, in particular, has been provided to local authorities to facilitate the enforcement of it?

Yes. I’ve already given a commitment that we are going to review that legislation, because I need to make sure that that legislation is the most appropriate, and that piece of work will be beginning in the spring of this year.