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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the working of section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and publish a new Code of Conduct relating to rabbits to bring the living space and welfare requirements for rabbits more in line with those in effect in other EU countries.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides a comprehensive legal framework protecting the welfare of kept rabbits. Given that owners and potential owners can obtain specific advice on rabbit keeping from rabbit welfare and other animal welfare organisations, there is no need to introduce a statutory code of practice for pet rabbits under section 14 of the Act.

There is no specific EU wide legislation for the protection of farmed rabbits. In England, they are protected by the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 and Defra’s code of recommendations for farmed rabbits. This code reflects the housing requirements as set out in the 2005 European Food Safety Authority’s scientific opinion on the health and welfare of farmed domestic rabbits.