Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions have been made for piglet thumping in each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Piglet thumping (a manual percussive blow to the head) it is not a permitted method for stunning or killing piglets due to serious concerns about the welfare consequences. The Department is engaging with the industry to encourage use of alternative humane methods.
Allegations of animal welfare abuses are investigated by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The local authority, as the appropriate enforcement agency, may initiate prosecution action for animal welfare offences where there is sufficient evidence.
The Department does not hold centrally recorded information on the number of farms where a manual percussive blow to the head was used for killing piglets, nor is data on prosecutions recorded in a way that would enable cases to be identified.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of farms involved in piglet thumping.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Piglet thumping (a manual percussive blow to the head) it is not a permitted method for stunning or killing piglets due to serious concerns about the welfare consequences. The Department is engaging with the industry to encourage use of alternative humane methods.
Allegations of animal welfare abuses are investigated by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The local authority, as the appropriate enforcement agency, may initiate prosecution action for animal welfare offences where there is sufficient evidence.
The Department does not hold centrally recorded information on the number of farms where a manual percussive blow to the head was used for killing piglets, nor is data on prosecutions recorded in a way that would enable cases to be identified.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 tackle piglet thumping.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Piglet thumping (a manual percussive blow to the head) it is not a permitted method for stunning or killing piglets due to serious concerns about the welfare consequences. The Department is engaging with the industry to encourage use of alternative humane methods.
Allegations of animal welfare abuses are investigated by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The local authority, as the appropriate enforcement agency, may initiate prosecution action for animal welfare offences where there is sufficient evidence.
The Department does not hold centrally recorded information on the number of farms where a manual percussive blow to the head was used for killing piglets, nor is data on prosecutions recorded in a way that would enable cases to be identified.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is considering further measures to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on illegal piglet thumping beyond The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare Committee published, in 2021, their advice on humane piglet culling and recommended the use of non-penetrative captive bolts as an alternative to manual blunt force trauma. The regulations on The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 were amended to permit the use of a non-penetrative captive bolt device as a killing method for neonate piglets within certain parameters. This has provided a method of killing on farm for these species that is practical and humane.
Defra officials continue to engage with the pig sector on this issue.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much weight is given to protecting (a) businesses and (b) national infrastructure when directing resources in flood risk assessments.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is investing £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.
On 14 October, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. Projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios to drive value for money. Protecting business and national infrastructure are both included within the overall economic benefits calculation.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 phase out the use of CO2 gas chambers in slaughterhouses.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in this Government’s animal welfare strategy, Defra will consult on banning carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and on possible timescales for phasing out this method. Further details will be set out later this year.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a consultation on ending the routine culling of male chicks through in-ovo sexing is under consideration.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 March 2026 to the hon. Member York Central, PQ UIN 116174.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will commit to developing a roadmap for the transition to in-ovo sexing in the UK egg industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 March 2026 to the hon. Member York Central, PQ UIN 116174.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department is taking to work with industry to develop a roadmap for ending the routine culling of male chicks, as laid out in the Animal Welfare Strategy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 January 2026 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, PQ UIN 105878.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 take steps to implement regulations required in the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Slough, on 26 February 2026 to PQ UIN 114064.