Scott Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Chinese government on the treatment of dogs during that country’s Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

Alok Sharma

The United Kingdom Government takes seriously all reports of animal cruelty. We are committed to raising standards of animal welfare and to phasing out cruel and inhumane practices both in the UK and overseas. However, there are limits to what the UK can do. Consumption of dog meat is legal in the People’s Republic of China and the UK has no legal grounds to intervene or take trade measures to prevent this.

We have instead focused our efforts on co-operation with China to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. We also work through the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), to promote the welfare of a range of species internationally, such as stray dogs and farmed animals. We encourage China, as a member of OIE, to meet the required standards.