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<p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Lord Black of Brentwood on 3 July
2015. PQ UIN HL795 listed the number of offenders found guilty of animal neglect and
cruelty (which is prosecuted under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006) in England
and Wales as a whole in 2014:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The number of prosecutions
for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under section 4 of the Animal Welfare
Act 2006 for each of the last five years, for which records are available, can be
viewed in the table below. Centrally held statistics do not record the species of
animal involved.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="7"><p><strong>Defendants
proceeded against at magistrates' court and found guilty at all courts for offences
relating to causing, permitting or failing to prevent unnecessary suffering<sup>(1)</sup>,
England & Wales, 2010-2014<sup>(2)(3)</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">
</td></tr><tr><td><p>Offence</p></td><td><p>Outcome</p></td><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2014</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="7"> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p>Causing, permitting or failing to prevent
unnecessary suffering</p></td><td><p>Proceeded against</p></td><td><p>1,077</p></td><td><p>1,277</p></td><td><p>1,385</p></td><td><p>1,266</p></td><td><p>1,016</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Found
Guilty</p></td><td><p>856</p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>1,101</p></td><td><p>1,006</p></td><td><p>800</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>(1) An offence under SS4(1) & 32(1) and 4(2) & 32(1) Animal Welfare
Act 2006, which came into force on 6 April 2007.</p><p> </p><p>(2) The figures given
in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences
for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more
offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same
disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence
for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.</p><p> </p><p>(3) Every
effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However,
it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative
data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should
be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are
taken into account when those data are used.</p><p> </p><p>Source: Justice Statistics
Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Criminal
Justice statistics for 2015, including those found guilty of offences under Section
4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are planned for publication in May 2016.</p><p> </p>
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