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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when a consultation on phasing out farrowing crates will be published; and what consideration is being given to how replacement farrowing systems will (a) impact welfare outcomes, (b) meet public demand for cage-free farming, and (c) support the long-term viability of the pig farming sector.

We want to work with the industry to help them transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems over a sustainable period: either flexible farrowing or free farrowing and we will consult on this issue in due course, likely in early 2027. The consultation will cover pig welfare in alternative systems and an impact assessment of the proposals including the viability of the sector.