Thank you for contacting me about animal welfare in the food industry.
The UK has long led the way on animal welfare and the Government has delivered an ambitious legislative programme since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. Ministers are committed to building on our strong track record on animal welfare.
Regarding the Kept Animals Bill, I am assured that Ministers remain committed to banning live exports for fattening and slaughter. While there have been no live exports from Great Britain since 2020, legislation will ensure that this becomes permanent. The Government is also committed to cracking down on puppy smuggling and will ban the imports of young, heavily pregnant or mutilated dogs. The UK has one of the most rigorous pet travel border checking regimes in the world and I am aware that every dog travelling into Great Britain on approved routes has its microchip and paperwork checked to make sure they are all properly vaccinated and are old enough to travel.
Further, mindful of the challenges the sectors are facing, I am aware that Ministers do not consider the time is right to consult on cage reforms. However, I understand that the market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. In addition, the Government’s animal welfare priorities for its Animal Health and Welfare Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
On food labelling for animal welfare, Ministers want to make it easier for consumers to purchase food that aligns with their values, by improving transparency and providing the industry with a level playing field to promote such products. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) intends to work with the industry to explore how to harness the market to improve food information for consumers and raise animal welfare standards.
In 2021, Defra carried out a call for evidence on the fur trade in Great Britain. Defra continues to build an evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade. This includes commissioning the Animal Welfare Committee to explore current responsible sourcing practices in the fur industry.
Finally, in May, the Prime Minister set out the Government’s six principles to ensure that farming in South Devon and the across the United Kingdom is at the heart of British trade. One of these principles included seeking to advance international co-operation on animal welfare and to promote high welfare standards.
I am assured that the UK will safeguard its ability to maintain high animal welfare, environmental and food standards in new trade agreements.