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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a ban on colony cages on the agricultural land market.

In preparation for the recent consultation on laying hen cage reform, the Government carried out a general assessment of the potential impact of the proposed reforms to laying hen welfare policy on the competitiveness and viability of UK egg producers and, as part of the consultation, sought views on that assessment. The Government is now analysing the consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course.