Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the International Finance Corporation concerning the farm animal welfare standards of livestock projects that it funds.

The UK Government monitors the International Finance Corporation (IFC)'s application of the Social and Environmental Performance Standards which apply to all IFC projects. Performance Standard 6 covers Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources. This includes guidance on animal welfare in livestock projects. For each proposed project, IFC publicly discloses summary project information, environmental and social implications, and expected development impact. Where projects present particular environmental and social risks, IFC sets out a time-limited Action Plan that the project must deliver. The UK Government uses its seat on the IFC Board to ensure that these procedures are followed.