Item 5 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs on companion animal welfare. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Lesley Griffiths.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to have this opportunity to update Members on what we're doing to continue to improve standards of animal welfare in Wales. In this statement, I will be focusing on companion animals, or pets.

Animal welfare is a priority for the Welsh Government and the Wales animal health and welfare framework group. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, there is a duty of care on all owners and keepers of animals to ensure their welfare needs are met, whether on a permanent or temporary basis. We will not tolerate the ill treatment of animals, and those who commit the worst acts of cruelty should face tough punishments. This is why we have agreed to work with the UK Government to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences from six months to five years. We are also working with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to ensure animals are recognised as sentient after we leave the EU. Our position is clear: we fully agree animals are sentient beings and the possibility of that not being reflected in legislation is a concern.

In 2016, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Cymru made a case for the introduction of an animal offender register in Wales. A task and finish group was established and engagement with stakeholders undertaken. Careful consideration of the evidence was carried out and the group recently submitted its draft report to me, with the final version due by summer recess. Due to the absence of practical solutions that would enable the creation of such a register and the lack of UK-based evidence to support the impact that some stakeholders believe one would have, the group does not recommend the development of a register at this time.

I am grateful to the members of the task and finish group for carrying out this work, and in particular RSPCA Cymru, the leading third sector prosecutor of animal welfare cases in Wales. I read the recommendations of the 2014 Wooler report with interest and, in particular, the recommendation for the RSPCA inspectorate to receive statutory status under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. I have asked RSPCA Cymru to consider this recommendation and to provide me with evidence of whether it would be workable in Wales.

We've introduced a number of pieces of legislation in recent years that underline our commitment to continue improving standards of animal health and welfare in Wales. We've introduced a welfare-focused licensing scheme for licensed dog breeders and the requirement for dogs to be microchipped. We've banned the cosmetic docking of dogs' tails and the use of electronic shock collars on cats and dogs, and I am proud that Wales was the first UK nation to implement such a ban. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to raising standards of responsible animal ownership, I've asked for the microchipping regulations, which have now been in force for two years, to be reviewed. Research will be undertaken into levels of compliance and enforcement, and whether more needs to be done to ensure traceability. I've also asked for consideration to be given to whether there would be a benefit to extending the regulations to include other species, including cats. The introduction of the Welsh dog breeding regulations led the way in addressing welfare concerns at dog breeding establishments in Wales. This was the first and remains the only legislation of its kind in the UK.

In 2017, a survey carried out by local authorities, in partnership with the Welsh Government, served as an opportunity to assess the standards currently applied in Wales. Further projects under the partnership will be progressed this year. In Wales, we demand high standards from our licensed breeders and sourcing a healthy puppy that can be seen with its mother, or rehoming an animal from a reputable animal welfare establishment, is the first fundamental step towards being a responsible owner. Yet the illegal importation of puppies, driven by huge demand, continues to be a problem. We already work closely with operational partners and stakeholders to deal with illegal imports, but more needs to be done. Potential owners must be informed of the poor conditions often endured by these animals, as well as the disease risks they may pose. I believe the potential banning of third-party sales is worthy of investigation and I will be discussing options with officials. Education is a key aspect of this.

Potential and existing pet owners must consider the future when deciding whether or not to own an animal, including how to meet its welfare needs and the costs associated with doing so. However, I do understand people’s circumstances can change. I would like to explore what veterinary provision, assistance and advice is available to people who need help in caring for their pets. This could be during times of illness or emergency, such as fleeing from a violent household. I would like to see a collaborative approach, with information readily available for people when they need it. Officials will discuss how this can be approached with Animal Welfare Network Wales. 

Partnership working is a fundamental aspect of improving standards, and we are fortunate to have a knowledgeable and dedicated animal welfare sector here in Wales. Many of these organisations have worked and continue to work closely with the Welsh Government as members of the animal welfare network group. We have recently worked with the network to review our existing species-specific codes of practice, as well as supporting the development of a new, voluntary code of practice for sanctuaries. The purpose of the codes is to explain what a person needs to do to meet the standards of care the law requires. It is my intention to lay the revised codes of practice for horses and dogs before summer recess, and for a consultation on the revised cat code to commence in the autumn. I will also be asking the network to review the rabbit code, and to identify if there is a need to introduce any new codes, such as for racing greyhounds, primates and other exotic pets. 

Embedding a culture of responsible ownership cannot be achieved in isolation, and I am grateful for the dedication and passion shown towards animals in Wales. There is always more that can be done but we are proud, as a nation, to be leading the way in raising standards of animal welfare.

Thank you. Paul Davies. 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement this afternoon? I believe it's important that animal welfare is a priority for any Welsh Government, and I'm also pleased that there are plenty of discussions taking place at Westminster around driving up animal standards. Indeed, it's good to see that Governments at both ends of the M4 are committing to this agenda. 

Of course, the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill 2017 would increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences from six months to five years' imprisonment, and it would ensure that animals are defined in UK law as sentient beings. Of course, I'm pleased that today's statement confirms the Welsh Government support for this Bill, therefore perhaps the Cabinet Secretary could confirm whether it's still her intention to bring forward a legislative consent motion in the National Assembly to allow this obligation to extend to Welsh Government Ministers. And perhaps she could also provide an update on what discussions she's had with UK Government counterparts on this specific Bill, given its impact on Wales. 

The Cabinet Secretary will be aware of the UK Government's recent consultation to introduce a ban on third-party puppy sales, which would mean pet shops and pet dealers cannot sell puppies unless they have bred them themselves. I note that today's statement confirms that the potential banning of third-party sales is worthy of investigation, and that the Cabinet Secretary will be discussing options with officials. I'm sure the Welsh Government is also monitoring the outcomes of the UK Government's consultation, but perhaps she can tell us a bit more about the options she has so far discussed with her officials. 

Of course, a ban on third-party sales of puppies goes some way to tackling the puppy trade in the UK, but there's scope here to look at a range of measures to tackle this problem, such as perhaps tightening regulations around the breeding and selling of puppies. I note from today's statement that in 2017 a survey was carried out by local authorities in partnership with the Welsh Government, which served as an opportunity to assess the standards currently applied in Wales, and that further projects under that partnership will be progressed this year. Given that we are now roughly half way through this Assembly, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary could give an assessment of the effectiveness of the current dog breeding regulations and also expand on what type of partnership projects will be carried out this year. 

Now, this afternoon's statement tells us that the current microchipping regulations will be reviewed and perhaps extended to other species, such as cats, and I wonder if the Cabinet Secretary could tell us what initial discussions she's had with cat welfare organisations and the animal welfare sector more generally at this stage about this review, and the impact of extending the regulations to other species. 

One of the more difficult issues that I believe needs tackling is in relation to the scale of unlicensed activity and the rise in the online sale of pets in Wales, as the invisibility of this trading system has resulted in many online sellers being able to avoid pet breeding and vending legislation, and it crucially pays no regard to an animal's welfare. Therefore, whilst I'm pleased that today's statement looks at a series of measures around animal welfare, perhaps she could tell us a bit more about the specific action that her department intends to take in relation to the buying and selling of animals and, in particular, online trading. 

Now, another important animal welfare campaign that has gained significant attention recently is in relation to sanctuaries, and the Cabinet Secretary will be aware of the YouGov poll for RSPCA Cymru in 2017, which found that 83 per cent of the public in Wales believe the Welsh Government should make animal sanctuary owners obtain a licence and be inspected to set up or operate such premises. It's clear that there's an appetite for the Welsh Government to do something here. I accept that today's statement confirms the development of a new voluntary code of practice for sanctuaries. However, I'd be grateful if she could give us her initial thoughts on how animal welfare establishments should be monitored to ensure that they are meeting the highest possible welfare standards, and perhaps in the first instance she would consider providing a clear-cut definition of the phrase 'animal welfare establishment' so that there can be no ambiguity in talking about what sorts of establishments any new codes would apply to and to ensure that all sanctuaries are included within this definition.

Of course, today's statement confirms that the Welsh Government has committed to looking at reviewing a range of codes of practice for companion animals, and I'm pleased that more work will be done in the autumn as it's crucial that all codes are kept up to date and extended where they need to be and that they are considered alongside other portfolio areas, as often animal welfare guidance can have an impact on other Government policies, such as health and housing.

Therefore, in closing, Deputy Presiding Officer, can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement? I look forward to scrutinising the Welsh Government's progress on its animal welfare policies as they develop. Thank you.  

I thank Paul Davies for that series of questions. You started off around the draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill, and I made our view very clear in my statement, and I mentioned that we are working with the UK Government, because I think it's really important that we do maintain a comparative sentencing regime across England and Wales. I think that's important so that the enforcement agencies have clarity, the courts have clarity and also the public have that clarity. So, I think it's very important that we do work together with the UK Government in relation to that.

You asked me if I will confirm that I'm bringing forward a legislative consent motion, and I do confirm that I will be bringing forward an LCM for those aspects of the Bill that obviously then apply to Wales. I've had discussions around this both with the Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, and also with Lord Gardiner, who's a Minister with responsibility for animal welfare.

You talked about third-party sales of puppies, and you'll be aware of the campaign around Lucy's law. I know there's an event here at the Senedd, I think it's next month, that Eluned Morgan is sponsoring and I'll be speaking at it. Certainly, the petition that's associated with the campaign has gained over 100,000 signatures. That was debated in Parliament and I've asked officials to look at the regulations, because they only apply to England. There are specific conditions on dog breeding that are included. There's a requirement that a puppy can only be shown to a prospective purchaser if it's together with its biological mother, and I think that's something that is very worthy of consideration. I know that a call for evidence has recently closed, so we'll be looking at that very carefully. 

You mentioned the microchipping regulations, which I said I was going to have reviewed. They've been introduced now and been in force for over two years, so I think it is the appropriate time for them to be reviewed, and I think it's time that we also consider whether other animals should be microchipped. Certainly, I've had a lot of representation around cats being microchipped, so I've asked officials to look into that for me.

I think the point you raised about sanctuaries was very pertinent, and the definition of an animal welfare establishment, and that will be part of the scrutiny process that we're going to go through. I want to ensure that consideration is given to whether the code would be suitable for use as a statutory document. I think it's important that it has that status. So, again, I'm working with the animal welfare network to support their development of a voluntary code of practice for animal welfare establishments and sanctuaries, and I'll obviously keep Members updated.

Thank you for the statement here today. I have to say that I'm disappointed about the part in the statement with regard to the animal offender register here in Wales, especially given that you've made a statement without giving us any background information as to what actually happened as part of that review. I'm particularly disappointed to read that you think that, because there's a lack of UK-based evidence, that's something that cannot be then progressed. There's plenty of international evidence, and I wonder what work has been done in that regard. For example, there's a state-wide open register in Tennessee; in New York, there's a closed register for pet shops and animal sanctuaries and they must reference this before selling or passing on animals; Orange county animal register—again, in America—is maintained by the sheriff's office, and anyone convicted must submit information to that office, and anyone transferring ownership must check registry prior to any change in ownership. I mean, if we haven't got an animal abuse register in any other part of the UK, it'd be difficult to have evidence based on practice because it doesn't exist. That's exactly why people like myself were calling for a Wales-first, so that we could look into this, and also for UK law enforcement agencies to be able to use this particular information to profile people who would potentially abuse animals and then go on to abuse people in real life. I mean, this is really important, and I think it is a real missed opportunity, and I'd like to see the evidence that supports the conclusion. It's really hard to comment without seeing anything today.

With regard to various animal welfare codes, you mentioned quite a few in your statement, but you failed to mention the game bird code. When will this be reviewed? In conversations that I've had with the League Against Cruel Sports, this is not monitored at the moment. They would like to meet with you to discuss game bird welfare, so I'm wondering whether you would take up that offer to meet with them, because I feel that it is missing from these codes and it's just as important as codes for horses and for cats. 

In relation to cross-government work, I can't see anything in this statement in relation to how you're working with the housing sector. I raised with the Minister, Rebecca Evans, the statements that landlords are putting out: 'No pets, no DSS'. We are seeing a rise in landlords that are refusing tenants with pets because, potentially, they've had problems in the past. You say a lot in these statements about how we make people better carers for the pets that they have, but when they do have pets, they're often discriminated against, and those pets are really vital to their mental health, to how they operate in society. And so it's good to say, 'Well, we have to look after the animals' on one stage, but what about how animals can help humans? I think that's something that isn't really in this statement enough here today.

I'd also concur with the comments made by Paul Davies in relation to online selling. We are seeing a myriad of different people selling various animals online, and it does seem to be something that isn't regulated, isn't monitored, isn't something that anybody has a handle on. I think the welfare of animals is key here, because people are often breeding animals, they then realise they can't cope and then sell them in these ways that seem easy for them to offload the burden that they see that these animals provide on them, but, also, potentially, they're not doing it in the most ethical way. So, I'd urge you to look at that further too. 

Thank you, Bethan Sayed, for those questions. I absolutely recognise that you would be disappointed. I did stress that I'd only had the draft report and I will bring forward a substantive response to that piece of work before summer recess, probably in the form of a written statement, but I know you've taken a keen interest in the animal offender register, so I absolutely understand why you want to see the evidence. As I say, I've only had the draft report, but there was some positive actions—there were several positive actions, actually—within the report that I think are worthy of further work, so that piece of work will be undertaken now, and, as I say, I do commit to bringing a full, substantive response before the summer recess.

I, just today, discussed the link between people who abuse animals and domestic abuse with the violence against women national advisors. I also had a presentation from Dr Freda Scott-Park. She is doing significant work with veterinary practices to ensure that, where they see non-accidental injury of animals—that perhaps there is a link with domestic abuse. So, there is a big piece of work right across the UK being done, but I think—. You know, I have to listen to what the task and finish group have said, but there are other things that we can bring forward aside from the register.

You asked about the code of practice in relation to game birds, and I've agreed with DEFRA and the other devolved administrations that we'll work together to review and revise the code of practice. I don't have a timeline for that specifically, but there is a commitment that we will do that. If you want to send me a letter around the group that you want me to meet, I'd be very happy to look at that, diary permitting.

I haven't had a specific conversation with the Minister for housing around landlords, but I think it is obviously something that we need to consider. I heard you say that you'd mentioned it to the Minister, and I'll certainly pick up on that.

In relation to online selling—and I'm sorry I didn't answer Paul Davies's question about that—I was actually shocked at the amount of purchasing of pets online that goes on, and I've asked officials to look at this. You're right; it's not regulated, it's not monitored in the way that we would want. So, that is a piece of work that we need to do, and unfortunately, there is a market for it, and that market, even just in the two years I've been in post, seems to have increased, which is obviously of concern.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary; there's lots to welcome in your very important statement today. First, I'd like to seek some clarification on a number of points. On the possibility of introducing Lucy's law to ban third-party puppy sales, I welcome your comments about discussing options with officials. We know on welfare grounds that there's a growing chorus of recognition that it's a good step, and I'd like to place on record a tribute to the work of Friends of the Animals Wales and its inspirational founder, Eileen Jones, and also to Rhondda Cynon Taf council that was the first council in the UK to pass a motion condemning third-party sales. I know lots of AMs have already asked you questions about this, but how would you engage with third-party expertise that there is out there on this subject in order to take the issue forward?

Secondly, I note your comments about the difficulties in establishing an animal offender register. I wonder if you'd also be able to say a little about tackling dog fighting. You may have seen the recent case with five people being charged for offences relating to dog fighting in Wales and in the east midlands. How else can the Welsh Government help to tackle this abominable cruelty?

And finally, the comments around support at difficult times for owners are also important, and in particular help for people in accessing veterinary services. We've spoken frequently about the rising numbers of people using food banks in Wales. I understand the Trussell Trust now accepts pet food, and the Cabinet Secretary will know the first food bank for pets was, in fact, set up in Wales. Would the Welsh Government also look into feeding companion animals as part of the review?

Thank you, Vikki Howells, for those questions. I'll certainly join her in paying tribute to Eileen Jones and RCT council. There is a huge amount of work going on in relation to third-party sales, and I've asked the network to have a look particularly at this aspect of animal health and welfare.

You asked about dog fighting, which is obviously horrific and illegal, and we work very closely with the police. If anybody has any evidence of this, that's where they should go in the first instance.

In relation to the animal offender register, you will have heard my answers to Bethan Sayed, and, as I said, there are several recommendations within the draft report that I do think are worthy of further consideration. Even though the advice to me is not to bring a register forward at this time, I think the points that Bethan raised around looking at the evidence in detail—I certainly will do that. I've literally just had the draft report, so I haven't had the opportunity to do that yet, but I will do before I bring forward a statement in the summer.

I mentioned in my opening statement that I think we need to look at people who are struggling; circumstances do change. I mentioned about women fleeing from a violent household, and I had a discussion with the advisers today. So, I think we need to work with Dogs Trust; I know they help. We, actually, as a Government, have had two inquiries in the last few months about fostering pets urgently, and obviously we don't have the facilities to do that. So, it's about working with charities and with the third sector to see if that's available.

Thanks to the Minister for today's statement. I agree with the sentiments underlying the statement.

The majority of households that have pets have dogs, and there are several issues over the welfare of dogs, one obvious one being: in today's society, are they getting enough exercise and general stimulation? These days, a lot of households contain couples who are both out working during the day, so this can be a problem. So, we have to be sure that people purchasing dogs are involved in an appropriate lifestyle for owning dogs. If dogs are short of stimulation, they can exhibit behavioural problems such as anxiety, in some cases, or in others, aggression. They would then need to be dealt with through training classes. Now, training classes are mandatory for the owners of dogs purchased from a lot of rescue centres, but they're not mandatory for dogs purchased through other means like private sellers. I'm not saying that it has to be mandatory, but do we need, perhaps, to publicise more the benefits of putting dogs through training classes and do we need to do more to educate dog owners as to the welfare and costs of keeping their animals? I note that education is one of the themes in your statement today.

The microchipping regulations that were introduced for dogs you say are being reviewed. It seems sensible to introduce that with the increase in incidents of dognapping, particularly of expensive breeds. You mentioned that you are looking at whether there is a good case for the microchipping scheme to be extended to cats. I would think that there probably is a good case for it, but I know that you responded already to that when Paul Davies raised it, so you may not be able to say more on that issue today.

Can I mention horses? There isn't much detail in today's statement about horses, although I know that there is a revised code of practice that's going on. We know that the fly-tipping of sick and injured horses is at an all-time high, so this is a major issue. Indeed, the RSPCA claims that there is a horse crisis going on. One of the problems being that horses are relatively cheap to buy, but expensive to care for. So, one way of addressing it is to go back to the education angle—again, is there more that we can do to educate prospective horse owners about the cost and welfare of keeping horses? On a more parochial level, there's the case of people who have a single horse. Horses are actually herd animals, so keeping a horse all on its own is perhaps not a good idea for the animal's welfare. Now, there's a case that I know of—a couple of people near me who live two doors down from each other and each own a single horse. One of those horses in particular looks most forlorn and they'd probably be better off keeping the horses together in the same field. So, I suppose we're going back, again, to the issue of education. Are there any more specifics that we can do to promote education about the welfare of companion animals?

Thank you for those questions. I think you raise a very important point about individuals becoming dog owners—that was the one you spoke about. I think it is good for health and well-being. I've attended the education classes that Dogs Trust run, for instance, and as you say, it's mandatory if you get your pet from one of these establishments. I don't think we would look at making it mandatory, but I think we do need to be able to publicise it and I'd be very happy to see if we could put it on the website.

There's nothing further I can say around microchipping, but I think you're right; there is a good case for looking at microchipping cats, so that's a piece of work that's being undertaken at the current time.

You asked about the code of practice for the welfare of horses. The animal welfare network group reviewed and revised that code of practice in 2016. We also had a 12-week public consultation on the revised one last October and I published the summary of responses to the consultation just last month. We will be revising the code of practice and publishing it before the summer recess this year.

In relation to horses, interestingly, I went out for half a day with the RSPCA and every case that we visited, bar one, was in relation to the welfare of horses. I think you mentioned education in relation to people keeping dogs and horses, and I've had those discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, because we did look at whether we could put something in the curriculum, but you'll appreciate that the curriculum is pretty full. I think there is an issue around education, and again, we publish a great deal of information on our website and I always look at what we can do to publicise it further.

Cabinet Secretary, just a couple of slight variations on the issue of animal welfare. There's been a tendency to regard the welfare of animals, particularly in terms of medical fees, as something of a luxury, in the sense that value added tax is charged. We know that, for many people, the welfare of their animals is often dependent upon whether they can actually afford to gain access to medical services. I think it's well worth putting on record the fantastic work of bodies like the PDSA, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, and, in my constituency, Hope Rescue in Taff Street in Pontypridd—the work they do in terms of dog and animal welfare.

You mentioned that you, of course, have had discussions with your counterparts in the UK Government in terms of joint approaches. It seems to me that the issue of the regulation of veterinary fees is something that ought to be looked at. It seems to me there's very little clarity about veterinary fees. They seem to be largely unregulated, they seem to be increasing by about 12 per cent per annum, and then, on top of that, there's a 20 per cent VAT charge. Of course, if you're a commercial operator—if you're a farmer, for example—you can get back the VAT that you pay out, but if you're a pet owner, obviously, you can't. I really wonder whether, in terms of domestic pets and for animal welfare purposes, the issue of reducing VAT on veterinary bills, or perhaps even removing them altogether, is something that at least should be considered, should be discussed, but that there should be things also that Welsh Government and perhaps our counterparts could do in ensuring far greater clarity of veterinary fees for pet owners.

Thank you. Mick Antoniw raises a very interesting point, and I'm meeting with the British Veterinary Association next week, and it's something that I'll be very happy to raise with them. I've not had discussions around that with my UK counterparts, but I'll certainly speak to the BVA first to see what they would advise, but I'd be very happy to look at any joint approach that would help people in respect of veterinary fees.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, can I welcome the statement? I think the principle of responsible ownership that is mentioned towards the end of your statement is key, but I do think that more needs to be done with it. Several Members, including Gareth Bennett, have mentioned the need for education, and it is, after all, pet owners who are going to be able to deliver the maximum level of animal welfare. No matter how good our laws and regulations are, it is human behaviour here that is key.

I have to say, a couple of months ago, I visited Cardiff Dogs Home, and can I take this opportunity to commend their excellent work—it's a remarkably hopeful place, which is perhaps not what I was expecting—and also the friends of Cardiff Dogs Home as well, who exercise the animals twice daily, and, indeed, that's what I did do as part of my visit? But, anyway, the staff and volunteers there were talking to me about the problems they often have with dogs being abandoned, because they were acquired in the first place, irresponsibly, as fashion accessories—this sounds remarkable, but I assure you it goes on—and then, after six months or so, the novelty of having this fashion accessory, which you're showing off to your friends or whatever, wears and the realities of taking care of a sentient animal with a range of quite obvious needs means that they grow indifferent or even callous and the animals often get abandoned, and literally get abandoned—driven many miles and then thrown out of a car. So, that's the first point.

The second point, and, again, a couple of people have mentioned this, but I want to refer you to the work of the charity Cats Protection, which has highlighted the problem of pets being given up when people move into rented accommodation. They also mention that when people go into some form of care accommodation, it's often automatically the case that they have to give up their pets—in this case, cats—and these animals are often older animals that cannot be rehoused very easily. I think landlords and those running various forms of care accommodation, sheltered or whatever—residential homes—many of them can be quite easily made appropriate for companion animals. I think those in rented accommodation—indeed, I live in a condominium, and we have a presumption that you can have a pet unless there are very strong reasons not to have the pet, and that is a much better way of operating. It would be fairer, as well, which would cover people in some form of rented accommodation as well. I think that's a real issue, and I commend the charity for raising that matter.

Thank you, David Melding, for those questions and comments, and I'll certainly join him in paying tribute to Cardiff Dogs Home. I've visited several of these establishments since I've been in post, and the dedication of both the staff and the volunteers is incredible. I remember going to the Dogs Trust in Bridgend just before Christmas, and there were a lot of dogs there then, and you can imagine—. You raised the point about fashion accessories and people getting rid of pets after six months, and it's the same, obviously, with Christmas. A lot of people have pets at Christmas and then a few months later—. But I remember going to this one in Bridgend, and every dog had a Christmas stocking full of presents. The dedication of these people is just incredible.

In relation to the issue around landlords, I see the Minister for housing is in the Chamber now, so she will have heard that, and obviously Bethan Sayed raised it with me also, and I will certainly have a discussion with Rebecca Evans around this. I, too, live in rented accommodation here in Cardiff, and it's exactly the same. You are allowed a pet unless—you know, you have to make a case if not. So, I think there is a huge amount of work that we can do with landlords to make sure that the situations that you just described don't happen.

I'm not going to repeat, obviously, everything that people have said, but I particularly want to support what David Melding has said about, particularly, people who have had animals for a long time, and those animals are ageing, and are being subject, really, to a death sentence, because nobody will take them on.

But I also want to focus on the whole intention of what we're trying to do. What we're trying to do is advising people how to look after their animals in the right and most appropriate way. Yet, I did a very quick survey myself, and found that not many people knew we were doing this. They didn't actually know anything about this code of practice for companion animals amongst the general public, and I think that we need to do a piece of work, whether it's us or others.

But there is an area I want to focus on, and Vikki Howells has alluded to it, and that is dog fighting. Dog fighting isn't only bad for the animals, which of course it clearly is, but it is a whole network wrapped up, very often, with criminal activity, betting, drinking and also drug taking. It is very prevalent, I have been informed, in certain areas of Wales, and we really ought to be tackling this head on, because it is one of the worst crimes against the animal, and it has almost, in some places, become quite acceptable behaviour.

This is going to sound odd, but I'm going to bring in another area that I think we ought to think about when we're thinking about animal welfare. We also need to think about what we buy in our pet shops that might affect the ecology elsewhere, and I'm talking particularly here about tropical fish and whether we need to do a little bit of work around—because there is evidence coming out—the major damage to coral reefs because people are just simply going in to grab the fish that exist there, for people to somehow sit and look at in their tanks at home. The evidence has really come out of that Disney film, Finding Nemo, and people's children wanting a fish that looks just like that. So, there is a wider debate here, when we look at animal welfare, about the destruction that, very often, what we buy is affecting communities, quite seriously, elsewhere.

Thank you, Joyce Watson, for raising those three points. Around the codes of practice, we have a partnership approach in relation to our codes of practice and how we worked with the animal welfare network group to develop a communications plan to raise awareness of the codes of practice, so I'm very disappointed to hear you say that. So, I think there's a piece of work, certainly, I can do and we can do as Welsh Government, but I'm sure some of our partners will be very happy to help us. But, certainly, we have them on the Welsh Government website. They can be downloaded, they can be available as paper documents, and, also, you can get them on CD-ROM. I know that my officials have worked with stakeholders such as welfare organisations, pet shops, for instance, and veterinary surgeries to make sure that we distribute those codes of practice and raise awareness of them. I know that the RSPCA, in particular, have been very keen to use them as part of their enforcement activity to encourage the improvement of standards where welfare issues have been identified.

Around dog fighting, you're absolutely right: it's a criminal activity. I did have a discussion around dog fighting when I spent some time with the rural crime team up in north Wales, and I'm due to spend a further day with them in August. So, again, I'll raise it. I didn't think it was as widespread as you sort of implied, but I'm very happy to have a further discussion with them around that.

I don't think I've done anything in relation to tropical fish, so if the Member doesn't mind, I'll have a discussion with my officials and I'll drop you a note in relation to that.

Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary.