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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made in implementing the Animal Welfare Committee's recommendations on lamb castration and tail docking.

As a result of considering the recommendations in the Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinion on the Implications of Castration and Tail Docking for the Welfare of Lambs, the Government issued a UK-wide consultation on lamb castration and tail docking which launched on 12 January 2026 and closed on 9 March 2026. The Government is currently analysing consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course.