Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the use of cages for farm animals.
I welcome the action taken by the last Government to improve animal welfare, such as banning the export of live animals, including cattle, sheep, pigs and horses for fattening or slaughter, with the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024, and increasing the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty from six months to five years with the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021. Animal sentience was enshrined in law through the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, which established the Animal Sentience Committee to ensure that any new legislation pays due regard to animal welfare.
I understand that some organisations, including the RSPCA, have launched campaigns urging the Government to publish consultations on phasing out the use of enriched colony cages for laying hens and of farrowing crates for pigs.
I support banning cages or close confinement systems where clear scientific evidence demonstrates that they are detrimental to animal and bird health and welfare. That is in keeping with much of the UK’s existing legislation on the use of cages and crates, including: the ban on keeping calves in veal crates, introduced in 1990; the ban on keeping sows in close confinement stalls, introduced in 1999; and the ban on the use of battery cages for laying hens, introduced in 2012.
Eggs
I note that the market itself has been driving the move to alternative systems for laying hens away from the use of cages, primarily towards free range and barn. The transition to non-cage egg production has been accelerated in recent years by the major supermarkets pledging to stop selling shell eggs from hens kept in colony cages by 2025, and some supermarkets have extended this to products containing liquid or powdered eggs. Egg producers and consumers should rightly have pride in the quality of British eggs, with around 75 per cent coming from free range, barn and organic production systems.
The last Government announced a grant scheme to support laying-hen and pullet farmers with flocks of 1,000 birds or more to refurbish or replace existing housing, supporting a transition to cage-free systems.
Farrowing
I note that the British Veterinary Association has called for the phasing out of farrowing crates, saying that the Government should provide a 15-year transition period by which all new builds cannot contain farrowing crates except where already agreed, to be followed by a shift from a crate system to alternative methods, such as adaptive farrowing accommodation or free farrowing systems, as soon as possible. The Minister has confirmed that the Government is "considering very carefully" the use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals, including farrowing crates. I hope that any reforms will be made in conjunction with industry to make sure they are affordable, practical, effective and, at their heart, promote animal and bird welfare.
If you have a specific concern about the welfare of an animal, I would strongly encourage you to report it to the police or the RSPCA.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
