Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's proposed timeline is for banning cages in relation to hens and pigs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The recently published Animal Welfare Strategy sets out that ending the use of cages and crates is a key priority for this Government.
We are currently consulting on a proposed timeline to ban the instalment of new enriched ‘colony’ cages for the keeping of laying hens and any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers from 2027 and the use of existing cages from 2032.
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy we will be consulting on pig farrowing crates and a proposed timeline for the transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems: either flexible or free farrowing.
Asked by: Lee Barron (Labour - Corby and East Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the temporary removal of tariffs on egg imports from Ukraine on UK egg producers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2028 following the two-year extension announced on 19 January 2026.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce reliance on physical paperwork in sanitary and phytosanitary processes for trade with the European Union.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.
Routine SPS border checks will be eliminated, so fresh produce can hit supermarket shelves more quickly, with less paperwork and fewer costs. GB goods such as dairy, fish, eggs and red meat are currently subject to 100% documentary checks and up to 30% physical checks. An SPS deal will see these removed entirely.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether all eggs served by Houses of Parliament Catering services are farmed in the United Kingdom, and whether these adhere to any independently verified standards for animal welfare.
Answered by Nick Smith
Eggs supplied to House of Commons catering services are class A free range and from a UK Farm which is RSPCA Assured.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage industry to end the practice of culling male laying hen chicks; and if she will publish a timetable for taking these steps.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As stated in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy1 the Government welcomes the UK egg industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology. There has been rapid global progress in a range of technologies that could help end the routine culling of male chicks by identifying or determining the sex of chick embryos before hatching as set out in the Animal Welfare Committee’s ‘Opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industries’.
Aside from in-ovo sexing technology, government is co-funding an initiative to assess the viability of dual-purpose poultry breeds, that is, breeds that can be used for laying eggs and meat therefore avoiding the need to cull males.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Animal Welfare Strategy for England published on 22 December 2025, when she expects to launch consultations on (a) phasing out enriched colony cages for laying hens, (b) transitioning away from pig farrowing crates, and (c) ending the use of high concentration carbon dioxide for stunning pigs; and when she expects to publish the Government’s response to each consultation.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The consultation on a proposal to ban the keeping of laying hens in cages was launched on 12 January 2026 and will close on 9 March 2026. For pig farrowing crates, we want to work with industry to explore how to transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems: either flexible or free farrowing. We will consult on the transition in due course.
The Government accepts that there is a pressing need to address the welfare concerns associated with high concentration carbon dioxide stunning of pigs. As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, and following the Animal Welfare Committee’s report on the topic, we will consult on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs. Further details will be set out later this year.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has her department made of exisiting legislation to restrict illegal trade of birds of prey.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All wild birds of prey and their eggs are protected under UK legislation, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Offences can result in up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. Restrictions on the commercial use or trade of birds of prey are also in place under the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations (UK WTRs). Options for improving protections for birds of prey under the UK WTRs are being considered following a recent government consultation.
Crimes involving birds of prey are a national wildlife crime priority. To support enforcement of legislation and help prevent and detect wildlife crime more broadly, Defra provided £494,000 to the National Wildlife Crime Unit in 2025/26.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist Ukrainian agricultural producers in maintaining and strengthening access to United Kingdom markets following the recent changes to European Union export quotas and trade measures.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2026.
The UK Government is now considering options for Ukraine’s future access on poultry meat and eggs.
Under the UK-Ukraine Enhanced (100 Year) Partnership Agreement, which was signed in January 2025, the UK has committed to broadening mutual market access and increasing agricultural cooperation between the UK and Ukraine; and providing support to Ukraine’s agricultural transformation, including on food production. The UK is engaging with Ukraine on these commitments and to support the successful development of Ukraine’s agriculture sector.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to support Ukraine's alignment with European Union agricultural and food standards, while safeguarding continued access to markets in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2026.
The UK Government is now considering options for Ukraine’s future access on poultry meat and eggs.
Under the UK-Ukraine Enhanced (100 Year) Partnership Agreement, which was signed in January 2025, the UK has committed to broadening mutual market access and increasing agricultural cooperation between the UK and Ukraine; and providing support to Ukraine’s agricultural transformation, including on food production. The UK is engaging with Ukraine on these commitments and to support the successful development of Ukraine’s agriculture sector.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to unlock opportunities from the free trade and digital agreements with Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
The UK-Ukraine Political, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership Agreement is the central pillar of the UK’s trading relationship with Ukraine. Under this Agreement, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029 (with the exception of poultry and eggs which are liberalised until 31 March 2026), with businesses in both countries benefiting from this arrangement. The UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement supports businesses to trade more efficiently and cheaply, including through secure electronic transactions, e-signatures, and e-contracts. The UK-Ukraine Trade Committee oversee these agreements and discusses how to enhance further our bilateral trade and investment.