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Animals: Hunting and Smuggling

Asked by Sojan JosephLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 29 April 2025UIN 48020

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward measures to ban (a) trophy hunting and (b) animal smuggling.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The Government committed to a hunting trophy import ban of endangered animals in its manifesto and we will deliver on this. Defra is engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can deliver on this commitment in the most effective way.

As outlined in our manifesto, we are committed to ending puppy smuggling. The Government is supporting the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by the hon. Member for Winchester. The Bill will close loopholes in the non-commercial pet travel rules that are abused by unscrupulous traders and give the government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

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