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 has taken to prohibit tail docking in pigs in the context of the new animal welfare strategy; and whether she plans to review the interpretation, application or enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ensure commercial interests are not prioritised over the protection of animals.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 prohibits procedures which involve interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of an animal. The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 list exemptions, including pig tail docking, to which the prohibition does not apply in certain circumstances

The Department has recently engaged with the Pig Veterinary Society and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to reduce the prevalence of pig tail docking by working with the industry and the veterinary profession. Defra is now carefully considering the appropriate next steps, including the possibility of developing further guidance.