Written Question·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·UIN 117435

Pets: Tagging

Tabled: 3 March 2026

Answered: 10 March 2026

Question

Mr Richard Holden

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pet microchip databases are authorised for use in England; what regulatory oversight she exercises over (i) pricing structures, (ii) subscription models and (iii) data access

Answer

Dame Angela Eagle

Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has increased from four to 24. While this gives consumers more choice, it has made it harder for authorised users to access records quickly. Defra i...

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