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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effects on levels of livestock of a ban on farrowing crates.

The UK is ahead of most other pig producing countries in that 40% of sows already farrow freely on outdoor pig units and are not confined to crates. The Government believes the aim should be for farrowing crates not to be necessary. It is important that we make progress towards a system which both works commercially and safeguards the welfare of the sow as well as the piglets, and that we do so as quickly as possible so that crates can be consigned to history.

Our country’s high animal welfare standards are something to be proud of and we will work continuously to ensure they are maintained and improved. A new statutory welfare code for pigs was laid in Parliament on 9 September 2019 and will come into force shortly. It sets out the highest standards on how best to keep pigs, using the latest scientific and veterinary advice to safeguard and enhance welfare standards.