Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to convene a cross-sectoral task force to develop a pathway to crate-free farrowing for the pig industry.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The use of farrowing crates and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which the Department is currently considering very carefully. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway supports farmers to improve animal health and welfare through a series of co-designed incentives, and the Department will continue to work across all relevant sectors to encourage improvements in pig welfare.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the Thames Chase Community Forest.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
England's Community Forests are delivering the multi-million-pound national Trees for Climate programme, playing a significant part in the national Government's commitment to address climate change and carbon mitigation through tree planting and woodland creation. We are supporting England’s Community Forests through the provision of funding to create woodland in areas of social and canopy deprivation.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54689 on Dangerous Dogs: Social Rented Housing, if he will provide additional guidance to the owners of XL Bully dogs who have exempted the dog but are denied the right to keep it in social housing.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
It is for the housing provider to decide their own policies on whether they permit tenants to keep exempted banned breed types. Owners of XL Bullies can contact their housing provider if they have queries about their policy in relation to exempted dogs.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to re-issue guidance to local authorities on requests from owners who have exempted their XL Bully dogs to keep their pets in social housing.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Guidance on the ban on XL Bullies is available on GOV.UK
In relation to keeping XL Bully dogs in social housing, or other rented accommodation, it is for the housing provider to decide their own policies on whether they permit tenants to keep exempted banned breed types.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of household pets in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act), owners and keepers must protect their animals from harm and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice.
The Act is supported by Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats. The Codes include guidance on providing a suitable environment for the animal, including information on protecting the animal from extreme temperatures and weather conditions.
Local authorities and the police have powers to enforce the Act and can intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths of household pets in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act), owners and keepers must protect their animals from harm and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice.
The Act is supported by Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats. The Codes include guidance on providing a suitable environment for the animal, including information on protecting the animal from extreme temperatures and weather conditions.
Local authorities and the police have powers to enforce the Act and can intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce harms done by (a) foxes and (b) badgers to agricultural property.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is lawful for farmers and landowners to manage foxes causing damage to property, so long as this is done in a lawful and humane way. Advice on protecting property from damage by foxes is included in this Natural England guidance note: Foxes, moles and mink: how to protect your property from damage - GOV.UK. Badgers are a protected species. There are options to legally manage damage problems but if these are unsuccessful and the damage is serious, farmers may apply for a licence to take action to address damage problems from Natural England. There is no charge for these licences.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require all (a) dogs and (b) cats to be treated against tick borne diseases prior to entering the UK.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government takes biosecurity very seriously. Disease risk is monitored carefully and is kept under constant review. Where necessary we have the powers in legislation to introduce preventive health measures to protect animal or public health by controlling diseases or infections that are likely to be spread due to the movement of pet animals into Great Britain.
We will continue to monitor and consider any further actions that may be necessary to prevent tick borne diseases as appropriate.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent cold-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation whether on-farm, during transport or at slaughter, with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 making it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide the welfare needs of the animal.
It is the responsibility of livestock keepers and authorised transporters to have contingency plans in place to ensure their animals' welfare in extreme weather, including advice on checking on animals more regularly and ensuring all animals have easy access to water on a daily basis, and not transporting animals in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We also publish advice on GOV.UK specifically for keepers: Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather
Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) also closely monitors weather forecasts and issues guidance to all authorised transporters on key actions that can be taken when transporting animals to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation whether on-farm, during transport or at slaughter, with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 making it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide the welfare needs of the animal.
It is the responsibility of livestock keepers and authorised transporters to have contingency plans in place to ensure their animals' welfare in extreme weather, including advice on checking on animals more regularly and ensuring all animals have easy access to water on a daily basis, and not transporting animals in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We also publish advice on GOV.UK specifically for keepers: Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather
Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) also closely monitors weather forecasts and issues guidance to all authorised transporters on key actions that can be taken when transporting animals to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.