Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to extend the livestock production syllabus of the agriculture land management and production T-level to include (a) pigs and (b) sheep.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Agriculture, Land Management and Production T Level is designed to equip students with the core knowledge and skills they need to enter a range of agriculture, land management and production occupations.
In their second year, students choose an occupational specialism to complete. The Livestock Production Occupational Specialism in the T Level provides students with a strong foundation knowledge relating to cattle, sheep/lambs, pigs and poultry production.
The assessed skill elements within the T Level currently relate to cattle and sheep/lambs. While the skills related to pig production was considered for inclusion, in addition to cattle and sheep, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education had concerns that delivering and assessing pigs content would not be practical due to manageability and resourcing issues for providers and the need to ensure comparability of assessment.
T Levels are designed to provide high quality learning for students and deliver the knowledge and skills employers need. T Level content may evolve as the underpinning occupational standards are updated and as the department continues to regularly review the content through engagement with employers, providers and industry experts.
Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to end the use of cages on farm animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, in the course of this Parliament and beyond. We do not consider the time is right to consult on cage reforms, being mindful of the challenges the sectors are facing.
The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hens with over 60% of eggs coming from free range production. The UK also has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.
We continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our new domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what compensation is available to traditional free range turkey farmers who slaughter on farm for birds that have been slaughtered and are hanging as part of the maturation process at the time bird flu is detected.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Compensation, as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981, is paid for healthy birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes. No compensation is available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is also not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat that needs to be disposed of to prevent further disease spread. Any meat or birds that have been slaughtered and are hanging as part of the maturation process on an infected premises will be subject to risk assessment. If it is considered to present a risk of disease spread, the meat or birds will need to be biosecurely disposed of without compensation.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to prevent ultra-processed foods from being served in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Diets high in calories and saturated fat, salt, and sugar are associated with an increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases.
The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/school-food-standards-practical-guide. These standards were implemented by the Department to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that pupils have the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day.
The standards set out that a pupil’s healthy, balanced diet should consist of:
The standards restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. The standards also specify which types of food should be served at school and how often. For example, one or more portions of vegetables or salad should be served as an accompaniment, and one or more portions of fruit must be provided every day. There must also be at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week. These standards ensure that pupils always have healthy options available for their school lunch.
The Department keeps these standards under review.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
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 the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published in May 2021, when her Department plans to publish the consultation on the cage keeping of farm animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have delivered an ambitious legislative programme since the publication of the Action Plan, which will deliver significant improvements for animals in the UK and abroad. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond. We do not, however, consider the time is right to consult on cage reforms, being mindful of the challenges the laying hen and pig sectors are facing. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. The proportion of eggs that come from caged hens has steadily decreased from 47% of total throughput in Q4 2017, to 21% in Q1 2023. The UK is ahead of most other pig producing countries in terms of zero confinement farrowing, in that 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrow freely on outdoor pig units with no option of confinement.
We continue to work with the sectors to maintain and enhance our high standards. The Government’s animal welfare priorities for its Animal Health and Welfare Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
Asked by: Miriam Cates (Conservative - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to include deer farmers in the rollout of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway rollout will initially focus on the most commonly farmed species: dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry.
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, whether she has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the phasing out of cages for laying hens.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers meet with relevant stakeholders frequently to discuss a range of issues.
We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond.
We do not consider the time is right to consult on cage reforms, being mindful of the challenges the sectors are facing. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. The proportion of eggs that come from caged hens has steadily decreased from 47% of total throughput in Q4 2017, to 21% in Q1 2023.
We continue to work with the sector to maintain and enhance our high standards. The Government’s animal welfare priorities for its Animal Health and Welfare Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 make it her policy to publish a consultation on reforms to the use of farrowing crates for pigs and cages for laying hens.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 12 June 2023 to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington, PQ UIN 188176 and the hon. Member for Scunthorpe, PQ UIN 188424.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential financial impact of the UKs accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on the domestic hen egg industry.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Global trade flows on shell eggs are minimal given difficulties in transporting over long distances and exports of egg products are not significant within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) membership. The UK did not import any eggs from CPTPP Parties in 2022. We will retain tariffs on eggs and egg products until year 10 of the agreement. For Australia, eggs will remain subject to Most Favoured Nation tariff rates.
The British Poultry Council was included in the department’s Trade Advisory Group on agri-food, which met regularly. The British Egg Industry Council was included in a CPTPP roundtable with agricultural stakeholders. The consultation exercises run by the UK Government for CPTPP received almost 150,000 responses, and we published our response to these in 2021.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department held consultations with the (a) poultry and (b) egg industry before the UK's accession Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Global trade flows on shell eggs are minimal given difficulties in transporting over long distances and exports of egg products are not significant within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) membership. The UK did not import any eggs from CPTPP Parties in 2022. We will retain tariffs on eggs and egg products until year 10 of the agreement. For Australia, eggs will remain subject to Most Favoured Nation tariff rates.
The British Poultry Council was included in the department’s Trade Advisory Group on agri-food, which met regularly. The British Egg Industry Council was included in a CPTPP roundtable with agricultural stakeholders. The consultation exercises run by the UK Government for CPTPP received almost 150,000 responses, and we published our response to these in 2021.