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 has made of the potential impact of the recent withdrawal of companies from the Better Chicken Commitment on the welfare of farmed chickens.

As set out in the animal welfare strategy, the Government remains committed to supporting a move away from the use of fast-growing breeds of meat chickens. We welcome the fact that those supermarkets who made Better Chicken Commitment pledges have fulfilled them, but it is disappointing to hear of the decision of various restaurant groups to withdraw their commitments to improve animal welfare in this way.