Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when a consultation on phasing out farrowing crates will be published; and what consideration is being given to how replacement farrowing systems will (a) impact welfare outcomes, (b) meet public demand for cage-free farming, and (c) support the long-term viability of the pig farming sector.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We want to work with the industry to help them transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems over a sustainable period: either flexible farrowing or free farrowing and we will consult on this issue in due course, likely in early 2027. The consultation will cover pig welfare in alternative systems and an impact assessment of the proposals including the viability of the sector.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 Naturewatch Foundation's press release entitled Shocking new figures suggest just 10.5-14% dog breeding is regulated, published on 21 September 2026, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the traceability of dogs kept for breeding.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government published its Animal Welfare Strategy in December 2025, outlining plans to take coordinated action to improve the welfare of pets. This includes committing to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. This Government will improve traceability and welfare by consulting on dog breeding reform.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 answer of 20 July 2026 to Question UIN HL1988, what the results were of the commercial in-ovo sexing trial which took place last year in a UK hatchery.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government understands that this activity did not constitute a commercial-scale trial but rather the trial of a small, commercially available unit to help the egg industry better understand the operation of the technology and any logistical constraints relating to its installation. We are not aware of any industry proposals for future trials involving this or any other in-ovo sexing technology.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment's identification of risks to livestock from multiple climate hazards as a priority risk area, what steps her Department is taking to monitor and publish data on farmed animal deaths and welfare impacts from extreme weather; and what plans she has to include such indicators in the fourth National Adaptation Programme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has a protocol to monitor animal welfare during high-risk weather periods and ensure keepers take steps to mitigate risks. The Food Standards Agency shares data with Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency for welfare issues originating on-farm and during transport. The Government has sought advice from the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) on the impacts of climate change on farmed animal welfare and potential mitigations. Part 1 of the project is underway and focuses on poultry species, and Part 2 will cover pigs and ruminants. We are currently considering what indicators are included in the fourth Adaptation Plan.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the number of farmed animals that have required veterinary attention and/or died on-farm or in transport as a result of heat stress or other extreme weather events in each of the last five years, broken down by species.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government does not hold data on the number of farmed animals that have required veterinary attention and/or died on-farm due to heat stress.
Data from 2022 indicates that, in July and August 2022 when there was unprecedented hot weather in the UK, approximately 30,000 and 27,000 poultry respectively were reported to APHA as dead on arrival at slaughterhouses. The government does not hold such data for the years 2023-2025.
During the red warning period (24th-26th June), approximately 17,000 broilers, 600 hens, 70 turkeys, three pigs and one sheep were reported as dead on arrival at slaughterhouses due to suspected heat stress. Approximately 300 pigs were reported on arrival at slaughterhouses as exhibiting clinical signs consistent with heat stress.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 made an assessment of the commercial viability of 'day-zero' systems where genetically edited breeding hens ensure only female layer chicks hatch, eliminating the need for male chick culling in the egg industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As stated in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy Defra will encourage industry to end the practice of culling male laying hen chicks. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in a range of technologies that could help end the routine culling of male chicks by identifying or determining the sex of chick embryos before hatching as set out in the Animal Welfare Committee’s ‘Opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industries’. Whilst ‘day-zero’ systems are not yet commercially viable, Defra continues to follow developments in the space closely.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the prevalence of tail docking on pigs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department has recently engaged with the Pig Veterinary Society and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to reduce the prevalence of pig tail docking by working with the industry and the veterinary profession. Defra is now carefully considering the appropriate next steps, including the possibility of developing further guidance.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure cross-government coordination and policy alignment with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods, particularly in relation to regulatory frameworks and departmental responsibilities that rely on animal testing.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working together with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in relation to those priorities, targets and commitments in DSIT’s Strategy to Support the Development, Validation and Uptake of Alternative Methods whose implementation Defra is placed to support.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed consultation on banning trail hunting will allow submissions on family pets being killed by hunting hounds; and what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals on this matter.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government will hold a consultation on its plans to ban trail hunting. Defra will be guided by the Government's consultation principles in shaping the proposed consultation. The department plans to introduce legislation to ban the activity of trail hunting when Parliamentary time allows. Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control. The owner of any dog that is dangerously out of control may be put in prison for up to 14 years, banned from ever owning a dog and receive an unlimited fine.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 that trail hunting is not used for the illegal hunting of wild mammals with dogs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and Defra will consult on how to deliver a ban in the new year.