Found: 1 Cross-Party Group on Animal Welfare Friday 26th April 2024 @ 2pm Agenda Agenda item 1 Apologies
Apr. 23 2024
Source Page: Working with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour: evidence based guidance for professionals working with children and young peopleFound: material, for example involving animals, children or extreme violence Having sexual contact with an animal
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Table 1.2 of his Department's national statistics entitled Farm business income in England 2023/24 forecast, updated on 14 March 2024, whether his Department plans to provide financial support to dairy farmers in the context that their average farm business income in real terms is forecast to decrease by the greatest percentage among all farm types from financial year 2022-23 to financial year 2023-24.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has a resilient and dynamic dairy sector which operates in an open market where the value of dairy commodities, including farmgate milk price, is established by those in the supply chain. The average Farm Business Income is at a 20-year high in 2022/23 following a previous 20-year high in 2021/22. The forecast decrease for 2023/24 would bring average Farm Business Income for dairy farm businesses back closer to historic trends. Through a range of government schemes, there is support for investment in dairy businesses through the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the animal health and welfare pathway and various productivity and innovation grants.
We have also recently introduced new legislation, The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which creates new rules for dairy contracts covering issues such as pricing provisions, unilateral changes to contracts and notice periods. Ensuring fairer contracts will provide greater certainty for farmers and help the dairy industry thrive into the future.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential ban on importing dogs and cats under the age of six months; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that ban on levels of illegal pet trade.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra regularly engages with relevant stakeholders, on tackling the illegal pet trade, including prohibiting the import of puppies and kittens under the age of six months.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of puppies under six months old. By its very nature, it is difficult to assess the full extent of the illegal pet trade. The measures in the Bill will close loopholes exploited by unscrupulous traders, help reduce the low welfare movement of pets into Great Britain and crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of Lord Markham on 22 March (HL Deb col 441), how they reconcile his assertion that “the Government do not set policy" on foetal sentience with the provisions of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 which included the establishment of an animal sentience committee.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs formulates policy on animal welfare. The Animal Sentience Committee holds functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals.
By contrast, the determination of foetal sentience and its implications for abortion and neonatal medical practice is reached through professional consensus and clinical guidance, rather than through policy. For example, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ most recent Fetal Awareness Evidence Review was published in December 2022, a copy of which is attached.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the responses to the call for evidence on The Fur Market in Great Britain which closed on 28 June 2021.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At this stage we do not have a confirmed date for publication of a summary of responses to the call for evidence on the fur market in Great Britain. In the meantime, we are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade. We have also commissioned a report from our expert Animal Welfare Committee into the issue of what constitutes responsible sourcing in the fur industry. This report will support our understanding of the fur industry and help inform our next steps.
Apr. 22 2024
Source Page: Call for Evidence on Phasing Out the Use of Cages in the Gamebird and Quail Sectors AprilFound: The Scottish Government is committed to improving animal welfare and announced a Programme for Government
Open Consultation: Call for evidence: phasing out the use of cages in the gamebird and quail sectors
Opened: Monday 22nd April 2024Found: OverviewThe Scottish Government is committed to improving animal welfare and announced a Programme for