Written question WQ84724
- Asked by
- Samuel KurtzConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What action has the Government taken to ensure that all dog and cat microchipping databases will be accessible through a single point of entry?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Our Animal Welfare Plan for Wales includes a commitment to consider extending compulsory microchipping to include kittens and cats in Wales.
Wales works in partnership with Scotland and England in relation to commission research, which supports similar policies in each country. There have been two recent research reports published – about microchipping and responsible dog ownership. Additionally, a policy paper about pet theft, published by Defra, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice was published in 2021. All of these make reference to microchipping, database ownership and ease of access.
The Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer is working with colleagues in other administrations to ensure any future changes to the collection and use of microchipping data meets the needs of the public and the enforcement agents alike.
We will continue to work with Defra to consider future changes in relation to microchipping databases for both cats and dogs. These discussions will include matters around accessibility and a single point of entry.