Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about pig welfare.
Any case of animal cruelty is completely unacceptable and I would fully welcome prosecutions being brought against any individual who is found to have been cruel to an animal.
The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and it is only right that we continue to raise the bar. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 introduced tougher penalties for animal cruelty, with a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine for animal cruelty offences. If you believe or suspect that animal cruelty has taken place, you should report the matter to the police or the RSPCA who can investigate further.
With regards to pig farrowing crates I am aware that, 40 per cent of our pigs are kept outdoors and outdoor farrowing systems are used for those sows. The previous Conservative Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare sets out the ambition to improve the welfare of farmed animals, including pigs, and can be reviewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/action-plan-for-animal-welfare.
The previous Government was committed to working with the industry to raise animal welfare standards across the board and I hope that the new Government shares that commitment. Further, the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway will prioritise areas for additional improvement in the health and welfare for pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry. On pigs specifically, the previous Government took steps to improve biosecurity in order to control endemic diseases, which can be reviewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-health-and-welfare-pathway/animal-health-and-welfare-pathway
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra’s) Statutory Welfare Code of Practice for pigs provides guidance to pig producers on the legal requirements and how to practice high standards of animal welfare, using the latest scientific and veterinary advice. You can access the Code of Practice here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/908108/code-practice-welfare-pigs.pdf. I know that the previous Government considered different pig production systems that are used both in the UK and in other countries.
Any decisions made on cage reforms would need to take full consideration of the implications for animal welfare and for the sectors concerned, including a realistic phase-out period to secure achievement of better welfare goals and sustainability for the industry.
Finally, in July 2022, Defra launched a UK-wide review of supply chain fairness in the pig sector seeking views on potential improvements that could be made to ensure a profitable and productive future for the industry, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-wide-review-of-pig-supply-chain-launched#:~:text=The%20UK%20Government%20and%20the,supply%20chain%20fairness%20and%20transparency.&text=The%20consultation%20seeks%20views%20on,and%20conditions%2C%20and%20market%20consolidation. A consultation was carried out in response to recent challenges experienced by the sector, due to global pressures including rising costs and labour shortages, which raised questions about the functioning of the supply chain. You can read the previous Government's response on the matter here: Summary of responses and UK government response - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
