There was much coverage on social media over the weekend of an incident in Staines in England, in which a police car rammed a young calf to bring it under control. It has restarted the conversation about animal cruelty.

I am dealing with a specific case in my constituency. Only recently was I made aware, through investigation and dealing with the council, that our Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has withdrawn from our 11 councils the funding to provide animal welfare services, while insisting that the same councils deliver the services under the regulations that require them. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs now seems to be placing the onus on councils to provide such services without any financial support from it. It seems that, for some, animal welfare is an issue only for social media and not for physical delivery.

Over the past five years, there have been only 18 convictions under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, despite 240 cases having been commenced. That represents a 7·5% rate of success from the point at which those cases were commenced to the point of being delivered. It poses the question of why the Department and the Minister will not revisit calls to establish an animal cruelty register across these islands. The establishment of one was called for and supported by councils across Northern Ireland: Belfast City Council; Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Ards and North Down Borough Council; Newry, Mourne and Down District Council; Mid Ulster District Council; Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; and Derry City and Strabane District Council. All supported having an animal cruelty register and asked the Department to establish one.

I got back this answer from the Minister:

"if Assembly colleagues or stakeholders advocating for a register can provide additional evidence to support the establishment and operation of a register, which could include where any such register has worked effectively elsewhere, my officials will consider any such detail received."

I ask that our Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs proactively engage, rather than wait for proof to be provided to him that having a register has succeeded elsewhere. I ask him to be a leader in challenging animal cruelty.