Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will convene an expert group of industry representatives, animal welfare organisations and other stakeholders to advise on developing a method of production labelling scheme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, the department is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, Defra will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare. The Government will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Department's policy paper entitled Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, whether her Department plans to publish a timetable for the introduction of dog licences for dog breeders.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority.
The Government is committed to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform. Next steps will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure imported meat does not adversely impact disease prevention in farming and animal disease prevention zones.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Meat import controls include measures to prevent spread of animal disease such as veterinary health certification and border control post checks.
On farm biosecurity plays a key role in protecting farms from exotic diseases and can mitigate the risk of spread of such diseases in the event of an outbreak. Defra is working closely with the devolved governments, the livestock industry and veterinary bodies to improve the UK’s response and raise awareness of the risks of introduction of exotic disease.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she made of the potential impact of electric shock collars on the welfare of dogs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is concerned about the possible welfare implications of the use of electric shock collars.
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra will consult on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars later in this Parliament.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on developing the proposals in the 2024 Fairer Food Labelling consultation.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the animal welfare strategy, the Government is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, the department will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare. Defra will set out next steps in due course.
The Government will continue to review origin labelling and aim to use the outcomes of the Fairer Food Labelling consultation as supporting evidence for future labelling policy.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered introducing a cap on veterinary prescription fees.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have been conducting a full market investigation into the supply of veterinary services for household pets in the UK since 23 May 2024. On 15 October 2025, the CMA released its Provisional Decision Report (PDR). The remedies raised in this report are subject to the CMAs final report which is due to be release in the Spring. One of the remedies being considered is a cap on the price of written veterinary prescriptions.
Defra welcomes the CMA’s market investigation into the veterinary sector and looks forward to continuing to engage with the CMA throughout this process. Defra will consider any remedies from the CMAs final report.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative estimate her Department has made of the cost of (a) veterinary medicines and (b) equivalent human medicines.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Veterinary medicine is a private service, including the prescription and supply of veterinary medicines. The Government does not regulate the cost of medicines and pricing structures are not subject to legislative controls. The costs of veterinary medicines are controlled by market forces.
The Government is not informed of the prices of individual products and has not estimated the comparative costs of veterinary medicines and human medicines.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish a consultation on trail hunting; and with which organisations she plans to discuss the scope.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Defra will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department plans to issue to local authorities on implementing and enforcing a ban on trail hunting.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Enforcing a ban on trail hunting will be a matter for the police.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of banning trail hunting on land management practices, including pest control and countryside access.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. The Government intends to hold a public consultation to seek views on an effective, enforceable ban. As part of that consultation, the Government plans to seek evidence from all concerned to ensure that the legislation that is brought forward is effective in practice and its potential impact is understood. The Government will consider the responses to the consultation carefully in developing our proposals’ as there is nothing further we can say at the moment.