To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for his assessment of the potential merits of conducting a review of current regulations on microchipping pets to identify whether improvements are required.

All dogs in Northern Ireland must be microchipped and microchip details must be registered on a database. The position is the same in other parts of the United Kingdom.

I am aware, however, that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has recently published an action plan on animal welfare in which it indicates its intention to make the microchipping of cats in England compulsory. The plan also notes Defra’s intention to review the operation microchip database systems in England and consider reforms to provide greater assurance that microchip database information there is appropriately checked.

While the action plan relates to England only, my officials are currently liaising with Defra and the other devolved administrations on it to ascertain whether there are any potential benefits to reviewing the position on the microchipping of pets here.