Written question WQ97417
- Asked by
- Llyr GruffyddPlaid
- To be answered by
- Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What mechanisms has the Welsh Government put in place to monitor the effectiveness of the Animal Licensing Wales project, including how enforcement outcomes, training delivery, and stakeholder feedback are assessed annually?
Answer
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
The Welsh Government funded Animal Licensing Wales project was initially awarded £2,169,300.00, over three years.
The breakdown for each financial year was as follows:
• 2022/2023 - £365,000
• 2023/2024 - £890,300
• 2024/2025 - £914,000
The project has evolved from an initial focus on dog breeding to include all licensing activity involving animals. Earlier this year, I was pleased to announce further funding of £700,000 for 2025/2026. No further funding commitments have been made beyond this financial year.
Welsh Government officials work very closely with the project leads, meeting regularly to ensure the project stays on track and adheres to the conditions of funding. Quarterly and yearly progress reports provide us with statistics and evidence to monitor delivery. Summary updates are provided in our published Animal Welfare Plan for Wales annual reports. Stakeholder feedback also provides invaluable testimony to the project’s successes. In September 2024, Animal Licensing Wales was honoured with a special recognition award in the prestigious RSPCA PawPrints Awards.