Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report by Kent Action Against Live Export (KAALE) sent to his Department by that organisation on 25 October 2020 and by the hon. Member for South Thanet on 20 October 2020; and what steps he plans to take in response to the findings of that report.

The report produced by Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) is currently being reviewed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on behalf of Defra. Where any non-compliance set out in the report is confirmed, APHA will take appropriate regulatory or enforcement action.

The Government is committed to the welfare of all animals and to making further improvements to animal welfare in transport. We fully intend to take advantage of our departure from the European Union to improve animal welfare and to ensure the highest standards. We have a commitment to end excessively long journeys for slaughter and fattening and we intend to consult on how we deliver on that manifesto commitment before the end of this year.